All They Ever Wanted
by mysticgirl916
Summary: Will and Emma take their most difficult journey of all: the journey towards parenthood.  But they are not alone, they will have the glee club supporting them through a concert tour, competitions, and the new arrival.  Sequel to "Forever and Always"
1. The Journey Begins

The last week of August at McKinley High School in Lima. This was usually the time when the members of the faculty returned to get ready for the new school year, which included a full staff meeting, introductions of new teachers and getting classrooms ready for when the students came back. It might still have been summer break, but that didn't stop Principal Figgins from summoning his staff back.

Time didn't wait as far as he was concerned.

* * *

Will Schuester stepped into the choir room, put down one of the full boxes he was carrying in his arms and flicked on the light, the classroom felt like a second home to him. Except for the bare walls, everything was where it should be – the chairs stacked on the risers at the back, the instruments in their proper places on the right side and the piano at the front of the room ready to be played. He reached over to the keyboard as he passed and played a couple of notes, just hearing music of any kind made him happy. But the one thing that made his face light up was the trophy case that was built by the choir room's entrance, which housed a shining gold trophy and a photo of him, Emma and the glee club posing with it – the national show choir championship trophy they had worked so hard to win in Orlando back in the spring.

It looked as if Will's life had taken a turn for the better since that winter day he kissed the fiery-haired guidance counselor in the hallway after New Directions' first sectionals. After a year of dating, he finally worked up the courage to propose to Emma after his own marriage fell apart due to Terri's lies. They were married in a beautiful ceremony in Florida and after the previous school year ended, the two went on a romantic honeymoon to Jamaica, a place Emma always dreamed of visiting. Will was a lucky man indeed, he had the love of his life, a job that he was passionate about, and the members of New Directions which he thought of as a second family. Singing a song to himself, he started to unpack his boxes and set up the classroom. He and glee had a national title to defend.

* * *

In her office in the guidance wing, Emma put up the last of her knick-knacks and looked around the room with a satisfied smile, making sure everything was neat and clean just the way she liked it. The picture frame on her desk beside her vase of orchids held a very dear and recent reminder of how far she had come herself – a photo of her and Will on their wedding day in Orlando, smiling and looking so in love with one another, taken together with the glee club.

Emma Schuester. She liked the sound of that.

She and Will had been married for three months now, and right after they got back from their honeymoon she had officially moved into his apartment. They had learned so much about each other over the few years that they had worked together and known one another, like how she learned Will taught himself how to play the guitar or how he knew she loved looking out the window of their home on a rainy day. It was the little things that led up to big things, and now she truly considered her and her new husband the parents of New Directions – the kids always said the two were like the group's mother and father figures.

Suddenly, something came over her, a funny feeling in her stomach – something she had been feeling off and on for the past week, she had a funny feeling about this. Rustling through her purse, she pulled out a small box, covered her mouth with her free hand and ran for the nearest washroom.

"Emma, are you okay?" one of the other counselors asked with concern. But she was already gone.

* * *

Right after Will finished up with the setup of the choir room and his office, another faculty member had poked his head into the doorway and asked him to go to Principal Figgins' office right away, he said it was important. Wondering what that important thing would be, he switched off the lights to the classroom and locked the door behind him, taking the familiar route towards the administration wing of the school.

It had to do with glee, that could be it. He had been in Figgins' office countless times when it had to do something with the club, usually about something bad. But since the club had won nationals, he knew it had to be something good this time. It had to be, Figgins himself was there when they won. Opening the door to the office, he poked his head inside.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked.

"Yes William, please sit down," his boss replied, and Will did what was asked. "So Schue, the first thing I have to do is congratulate you and the glee club once again for that spectacular result in Orlando a few months ago. I underestimated you when you came to me the day you wanted to take over the club, but seeing your students come back to McKinley with a national championship title has made me proud."

"Thank you," Will said with a smile. "You don't know how much that means to me and the kids. We all worked so hard to make this dream a reality, so it was a total team effort."

"It is essentially glee that I wanted to talk to you about," Figgins went on. "I received a call from the president of the American Show Choir Association just a short while ago, he told me he had received a correspondence from a colleague of his in London, England who is part of an international performing arts federation and had heard about your win at nationals. The person was so impressed with New Directions that he wants you and the club to do a concert tour in Europe. You'd be performing in several major cities over the course of about a month with the final concert being at the O2 Arena in London. The person from the federation is from what I heard a true philanthropist, so all your expenses would be paid. And you would be back in the States in time for sectionals."

"Are you kidding me?" Will said, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "The kids will be thrilled, I can't wait to tell them!"

"Well, you have earned it," said Figgins. "Your victory at nationals has helped to put McKinley High on the map as not only a cheerleading powerhouse, but also as a school that has come to embrace what you do. Just make sure you get parental permission from each student, and have at least one other person with you as a chaperone."

"I'm sure Emma would love to come," said Will, thinking about his new wife. "You don't know how much this will mean to all of us. Thank you so much." He got up from his seat and shook the principal's hand.

"My pleasure," said Figgins. "And Schue, good work. I look forward to seeing the glee club make a run towards another national championship."

* * *

Not even Sue Sylvester could wipe the smile off of Will's face as he walked away from Figgins' office. New Directions headlining a concert tour in Europe was just the beginning of what was he hoped would be an amazing year ahead. In fact, as he continued walking down the hallway back to the choir room, he already had an idea of what kinds of songs he could try on the kids. He just had to get back to his classroom and find everything he was going to need to set his plan into action.

As he neared his destination, he heard the faint sound of sobbing coming from the girls' washroom, they belonged to Emma. Not wanting to intrude, he knocked on the door, concerned about his wife.

"Hey Em, are you okay?" he asked.

"I'll be just a minute, Will," she said. Moments later, she walked out of the washroom, clutching the box that she had in her hand. Her usually bright brown eyes were blotchy from crying, and some of her makeup was smeared. Will held his wife tightly.

"Oh Emma," he said. "What's wrong?" Emma looked at her husband, she had to confess to him everything that had happened.

"Do you remember a few weeks ago when we, well, you know, 'snuggled' that one night?" she said. "After that, I hadn't been feeling well for several days, and I remember how you took care of me, making sure I was all right. Well, today it came back again after I finished setting up my office and that's how I ended up in the washroom for the last thirty minutes. But it's not just that." She slowly reached into the box that was in her hand, pulled out what looked to be what Will thought it would be, and showed it to him.

It was a pregnancy test. And it read positive.

"Will," said Emma, "I'm pregnant."


	2. New Directions

Will stood there looking at his wife, absolutely shocked. He knew Emma to be a very truthful woman, but he never expected this. After all he had been through with Terri and her deception, his eyes began to shine with tears.

He was going to be a father. For real this time.

"Em, is this for real?" he asked, taking his wife's hands in his. "This isn't some kind of dream?" After that, he was at a loss for words, this couldn't be a dream. He would have loved to have a child, someone who would be as sweet as Emma was, someone he could teach to sing and dance.

"It's not a dream, Will," Emma replied, seeing the happiness in his eyes. "I've known for a few weeks now and haven't told anyone until now. I have my first appointment with Dr. Chin to confirm it before school starts." Suddenly, she felt Will's strong arms around her as he twirled her in a loving embrace.

"Oh Emma, I love you so much!" he exclaimed. Right now, he didn't care about the rule forbidding personal displays of affection between faculty members. All that mattered was how happy he was.

It felt like he was flying, and he didn't want to come back down.

* * *

"Well Emma, I can confirm that you are six weeks pregnant," Dr. Chin announced to her and Will the Friday before school was set to begin, she had checked Emma over before giving the couple the news. She was the best OBGYN in Lima for many reasons, mostly that she cared about her patients – she was the one that helped Quinn deliver her baby girl before regionals during glee's first year together and it was Quinn herself who recommended the doctor to her.

"So, in four weeks, it will be your ten-week sonogram and we will be able to determine if it's a boy or a girl," the doctor continued. "Would you like to know then, or would you rather wait until the day of delivery?" Both Emma and Will conferred with each other and nodded in agreement.

"We would love to know sooner rather than later," Will replied.

"Very well," said Dr. Chin. "What I can tell you right now that if all goes well, the approximate time of delivery should be around late May, perhaps early June. Emma, I can also advise you to take vitamins daily so the baby and you can stay healthy. And Will, take good care of her, she's a lucky girl to have you."

"Thank you, Doctor," said Emma as the two of them got up from their seats. "Maybe at the first glee meeting of the year, we can ask Quinn to help us," she suggested to Will.

"See you in four weeks," said the doctor, smiling at them as she watched them leave.

* * *

Finally, it was the first day of the new school year at McKinley High. Will had managed to track down all of the glee club members – some in the hallways, others in his Spanish classes – and told them to meet in the choir room at 3:30 for their first meeting of the year. He couldn't wait to spring the news to them about the European tour, and he wanted Emma with him when it came time to talk about the newest "addition" to New Directions. On top of that, he wanted to set his plan for the tour in motion. So when 3:30 finally came around, Will and Emma stood at the front of the choir room and watched as one by one or two by two, the glee kids came walking in and finding their seats.

"Well guys," said Will, "first let me say welcome back, national show choir champions!" All of the kids cheered and applauded his words before he quieted them down. "So the pressure is now on us to repeat, but as long as we work hard and stick together, I think we can do it. But we've got to up our game."

"You're right, Mr. Schue," said Rachel, looking as eager as ever. "We should give them something that they won't expect from us." Nodding at his female lead, Will continued his opening pep talk.

"Now, the reason why I called you here for this meeting is about several pieces of news that I've received," he said. "First of all, Principal Figgins informed me of a call he got from the president of the national show choir board. The president received a correspondence from a colleague in England who is part of an international federation for performing arts. Apparently, he heard about our win at nationals and would like us to do a concert tour in Europe beginning in October, with the final performance being in London at the O2 Arena." The mere mention of the tour sent shockwaves of surprise through the room, the looks on the faces of the students told it all.

"We're doing a real tour?" said Tina, making sure she wasn't dreaming. "What cities are we going to visit, Mr. Schue?"

"From the itinerary I received, we will be doing shows in Paris, Rome, Brussels, Dublin and London," said Will in response to Tina's question. "All our expenses will be paid by the performing arts federation including our airline tickets, accommodations and ground transportation as representatives of the American show choir board, and we will be back here in the States in time for sectionals. We just need parental consent from each of you, I will have your forms at the end of the meeting." He smiled at the group, knowing that this would be an adventure they would never forget

"Wait, you mentioned several pieces of news," said Artie. "What else are you hiding from us?" This time, it was Emma's turn to smile as Will held her close.

"Well," she said, "around the end of next May or perhaps the beginning of next June, I guess you can say that there will be a new member of New Directions coming."

"You're not serious!" said Mercedes, her mouth open in surprise.

"Yup," confirmed Will, "Emma and I are having a baby." The entire club cheered again, congratulating their coach and his wife, who was more of a family member to them than just a teacher. Once all the ruckus had died down, it was time to get down to work.

* * *

Will had pulled out some pictures from a folder he had put on top of the piano and hung them on the whiteboard, securing them with magnets. This was all part of his plan to incorporate some new music into the glee club repertoire.

"ABBA, Celine Dion and Johnny Logan," he said to the kids, pointing to each picture in turn. "These people all have something in common – they have all participated at some point or another in the Eurovision Song Contest, which is the biggest annual televised music event in Europe. All three of the artists in these photos have all won the contest, Celine and ABBA as you know went on to launch phenomenal international careers. And Johnny was the first person in the contest's history to win multiple times, he won twice as a performer and once as a composer. Since we are embarking on a tour of Europe, I thought it would be interesting to add some Eurovision songs into our sets, so for your first assignment this year I want you to look for some songs from the contest that you think we could possibly perform. And who knows, we might be so inspired by this trip that we could use what we learned and do them in competition." The kids looked interested in this concept, Tina and Artie were already talking about some possibilities, as were Kurt, Mercedes and Quinn. Suddenly, Rachel's hand shot up.

"Mr. Schuester, is it true that some well-known artists past and present have covered songs that were featured in the Eurovision contest?" she asked.

"It is absolutely true, Rachel," Will replied. "In fact, I can demonstrate one such example." He walked over to the side of the room where the instruments were, picked up a classical-style acoustic guitar and went back to the front of the room where he sat down on a stool, setting the instrument in his lap. Even Emma, who had rested her elbows on the edge of the piano, was interested in what he was about to show everyone.

"This song was first performed in the 1958 contest by an Italian singer/composer named Domenico Mondugno," he explained. "Since then, it had been covered by dozens of different artists, but it was a French group of Spanish-speaking musicians called the Gipsy Kings that recorded the most well-known version of the song in the late 1980s, a little more upbeat and festive than the original. They sang much of the song in their own language, but kept the chorus the way it was meant to be, in its original Italian." Adjusting the instrument to the proper position, he played an introductory riff. Then he began to sing the first verse of the song in Spanish.

_Pienso que un sueno parecido no volvera mas  
__Y me pintaba las manos y la cara de azul  
__Y me improviso el viento rapido me llevo  
__Y me hizo a volar en el cielo infinito…_

The slow part of the song done, he picked up the pace, singing the chorus in Italian.

_Volare, oh oh  
__Cantare, oh oh oh oh  
__Nel blu dipinto di blu  
__Felice di stare lassu_

As he sang, he saw Rachel grab Finn's hand and pull him up from his seat, the two of them beginning to dance. Santana got up next and did some sultry flamenco moves across the floor, then soon everyone was rocking out to the song their teacher was performing.

_Volare, oh oh  
__Cantare, oh oh oh oh  
__Nel blu dipinto di blu  
__Felice di stare lassu_

By the time the song ended, the kids applauded Will's performance loudly, Emma giving him a congratulatory kiss.

"Mrs. Schue," Quinn said to Emma, "I just want you and Mr. Schue to know that all of us will be with you no matter what. I know how hard it is from experience, but you are not alone. You're as much a part of our journey as your husband is."

"Thanks Quinn," replied Emma. "I know who to ask when I need it." Suddenly, she and Will were met by the entire glee club, entangled in a massive group hug. With a baby on the way and a European concert tour on top of competitions, this would be a year nobody would ever forget.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Song is the Gipsy Kings cover of "Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu" (Volare) by Domenico Mondugno (ESC'58)


	3. Captured By A Lovestorm

Saturdays at the Schuester apartment were pretty quiet ones. Will would usually be grading tests and papers or preparing some new things for the glee club, while Emma would either be cleaning the apartment or doing the weekly grocery shopping. This particular Saturday however, Emma was by herself – Will had taken Finn and Rachel to Akron to attend the Carmel High glee invitational, which that group always held the weekend after the first day back. New Directions' own invitational would be held a week from that coming Friday, they had to schedule it early to coincide with the club leaving for Europe the week after that. Thank goodness she had her passport up to date, hopefully the kids had theirs updated as well. Will had distributed the consent forms at the end of the first glee meeting, and to both his and Emma's surprise, all of them came back signed within the span of a couple of days. Things were starting to come together.

As she cleaned the apartment, as per her usual Saturday routine, she couldn't get the song that Will had sung on the first day back out of her head. She hummed it to herself as she danced around the room, dusting and wiping the shelves and tabletops – she had read somewhere that music was good for a developing baby. Hopefully all the dancing she was doing didn't affect the child that was continuing to grow inside of her.

* * *

"Hey Em, I'm home!" Will called as he entered the apartment a couple of hours later. He set his keys down on the front hall table and pulled off his black leather jacket. He had so much to tell Emma about the invitational, and after the show he took Rachel and Finn to lunch at a restaurant in downtown Akron. The drive itself was a couple of hours long, but there was hardly any traffic on the road between there and Lima.

"Hey sweet thing," Emma said, giving her husband a kiss. "How was the performance?"

"To tell you the truth, nothing special," Will replied, Emma sensing the sparkle in his eyes whenever he was excited or happy. "All three of us agreed that Vocal Adrenaline's best days are behind them. They lost their coach, choreographer and main leads within the span of a year. And on top of that, a lot of the show choir blogs are all predicting that New Directions are going to repeat as national champions if we keep up the pace we set last year. With everything that's going on this year, this is going to be an incredible run. Oh Em, I'm so happy!" Emma smiled. Even she knew when she attended last year's regionals with Will and the kids that the Carmel group had lost some of its edge. Perhaps the mini-tour in Europe would be the start of something big.

"You know how you talked about adding some Eurovision songs into the glee club's mix?" she asked. "I think I've found a great song for you to do on the tour, especially when we are in Rome. The song is in Italian, has a great chorus part for the kids and I think you'd sound good on lead, Will. It's in your range." She had Will's laptop open on the coffee table, she had used it after cleaning to look for some songs. After disinfecting the touchpad, she clicked on a page to bring up the video of the song she wanted to show him. It started with an a capella choral line, followed with a short instrumental break before going into the main vocal. He liked what he heard, it was a song about unity and he could actually understand some of the words – he had learned somewhere that Spanish and Italian were quite similar to one another.

"This is a really good song," he commented as he listened to it pick up at the chorus. "I think the kids need some instruction in the language, it would be good practice for them. We have lots to do to get ready for this tour, but first off I think we should start getting things ready for our invitational." He put his hand in Emma's, and they felt movement inside her.

"Do you think the baby liked that song?" Emma asked.

"I think it did," Will answered.

* * *

The following Tuesday, a special rehearsal had been arranged in the auditorium. The glee club sat in the front rows of seats and listened to what Will and Emma were saying.

"First of all, we'd like to thank you guys for returning your consent forms so quickly regarding the European tour," Will said. "I hope you all have your passports up to date, and we're going to be doing some language and culture classes to help get you all ready for the trip. The national show choir board has assured me that as we are representing them abroad, we will keep our amateur status for competitions." Then, Mercedes' hand shot up.

"But what about our classes, how are we going to be able to keep up while we're on tour?" she asked.

"Don't worry, we've arranged for private tutoring when you're not performing," said Emma. "I've also spoken to all your teachers, they will be able to communicate with you via e-mail. We will both bring our laptops, and you can get your assignments from your teachers that way. They will extend any deadlines you have with papers and whatnot at their discretion." Some of the kids breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that even though they'd be able to catch up with their schoolwork while at the same time performing at their concerts.

"Now that all that is out of the way," Will said, "it's time to start building a set list for the invitational, it is next Friday. I'd love to do a Eurovision song so our audience can get a taste of what we will be doing in October. Has anyone found any songs yet?" He saw Rachel nod to Quinn and Tina, who motioned for all the girls to get up from their seats and head to the stage.

"Mr. Schue, the girls and I have all been working on something together," Rachel said. "We found a good song that we want to do as a number in the invitational, and we especially think that you and Mrs. Schue will like what we chose. It's the English version of the winning song from the 1991 Eurovision contest."

"All right, let's see it," said Will as he and Emma sat in their seats along with the boys. The music began as the girls went through their opening choreography, cleverly put together by Brittany and Santana.

_(R)_ _I will never stand alone  
__Or be the one to chase distant memories_

_(Q)_ _You can open hearts of stone  
__With every touch of grace, you were there to set me free_

_(S)_ _Could it be I'm on the road to paradise?  
__One step closer to the heaven in your eyes_

_(All)_ _I am captured by a lovestorm from your heart  
__Givin' me a brand new start, and it's gonna last forever  
__Captured by a lovestorm day and night  
__Feelin' only what is right, you're the reason love is here to stay_

_(T)_ _Make the best of what we share  
__The moments passing by will not come again_

_(B)_ _I can feel it in the air  
__Like raindrops from the sky softly blowin' in the wind_

_(M)_ _Without no regrets, I'll leave the past behind  
__So much love to follow 'til the end of time_

_(All)_ _I am captured by a lovestorm from your heart  
__Givin' me a brand new start, and it's gonna last forever  
__Captured by a lovestorm day and night  
__Feelin' only what is right, you're the reason love is here to stay_

_(R)_ _We'll stand together, united by the power of love  
__I'm yours forever, free to sing like angels from above_

_(All)_ _I am captured by a lovestorm  
__Captured by a lovestorm (from your heart)  
__Givin' me a brand new start, and it's gonna last forever  
__Captured by a lovestorm day and night  
__Feelin' only what is right, you're the reason love is here to stay_

_(Captured by a lovestorm)_

_I am captured by a lovestorm!_

"That was terrific," Will said as he applauded along with Emma and the guys, "we're definitely using it in the invitational. Well done!"

"What did you think of the message of the song?" asked Quinn, feeling curious.

"I think the message was dead on," Emma said to Will, "don't you think?" She gave her husband a kiss on the lips, spurring cheers from the girls, wolf-whistles from Puck, and applause from the rest of the guys. As long as it was in front of the glee club, it was okay – they had done it several times before.

"So we have one song down," said Will, "let's think of others." The invitational was shaping up to be a good one.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Song is "Captured By a Lovestorm" (Fangad av en Stormvind) by Carola (ESC'91)


	4. Celebration Of The Heart

For the next few days, Emma and Will helped the glee club get ready for their invitational. The event was sold out, Will gave the kids extra vocal help, Emma helped pick out the costumes, and the girls had perfected their "Lovestorm" number with a little added assistance from the guys. This was just the beginning of New Directions' upcoming competition year along with the European mini-tour, but in a couple of weeks, Will and Emma would be seeing Dr. Chin again, this time to find out what their baby was going to be.

"Okay guys, that was terrific," Will said as the girls finished another run-through of their number in the auditorium. "We've got a killer performance in the Carola song, but we need a good opener to get the crowd pumped up and a show-stopping number for the closer. I want to do something that everyone will enjoy, so let's come up with some ideas."

"By the way, Mr. Schue," said Tina, "where are all the competitions taking place this year?"

"From the memo I received from the state board," Will said, "sectionals will be in Dayton, regionals will be in Columbus, and state in Cincinnati. Nationals…will be in New York City this year." All over the room, excited gasps could be heard as the kids soaked in the information about the possibility of going to New York for nationals and perhaps winning their second consecutive title. It would be a far cry from Orlando the previous year, but they hoped to make it.

"Holy Donna Karan," said Kurt, "New York City. I think I'm going to die a happy fashionista!" Mercedes gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder as they did their synchronized handshake and hair flick together.

"I know the song we can do for the finale," Finn said, breaking the silence. "How about doing 'Empire State of Mind'? Just for the fact that we're working towards nationals again and New York is our final destination."

"That sounds fantastic," Will said. I'll get the sheet music and we'll work on it at the next rehearsal. Now all we need is an opener." He saw Quinn come towards him, her iPod Touch in her hand.

"I think I can help with the opener," she said. "Listen to the music in this video, I think it sums up everything we're going through this year, plus it will give everyone a sample of the upcoming trip to Europe. I do believe that this opened the 1991 Eurovision telecast." Handing her teacher the earphones, she tapped the screen to bring up the video she wanted. Will listened intently. The song had a good beat, and the words were perfect for the occasion.

"Good choice, Quinn," he said. "Do you think you can transcribe the lyrics for everyone? And just listening to the vocal, I think it would sound good with you on lead. But try to keep the choreography tame, okay?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Schue," she replied, accepting her iPod back and returning to the group, running her idea by the rest of the kids. They still had a few days to learn and perfect the new routines, but as Finn always said, they were at their best when they were loose. Emma, who was sitting next to Will through the entire rehearsal, nudged over in her seat and rested her head on his shoulder. The glee kids were too busy talking about the potential of going to New York to defend their title that they didn't notice their teachers' personal display of affection.

* * *

At last, it was the night of the invitational. The McKinley High auditorium was packed with members of the faculty as well as friends, family and supporters of New Directions. They may be the bottom feeders of the school's social food chain, but as long as the glee kids had each other they didn't care.

"Okay guys, let's get pumped," Will said to the kids as he stood with Emma in the choir room, which had been transformed into a makeshift dressing room. They were dressed in their costumes for the first act – the girls in shimmery purple halter tops and black skirts, the boys in matching purple T-shirts underneath unbuttoned black dress shirts and black jeans. "You've all practiced hard for this performance, so let's go out there and give them a taste of what we're going to be up to next month. I know you're all going to be fantastic."

"I can't believe we leave for Europe in two weeks, can you?" said Mercedes. "It's the kind of thing we could only dream about, but this time it's real." The rest of the group agreed that this was not a dream and that they were going to have a blast performing overseas. With one last group cheer, the kids headed for the stage.

"Let's go find our seats," Emma said to Will. Holding hands, they walked out of the room and towards the auditorium.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Principal Figgins said to the packed house waiting for the performance to begin, Will and Emma sliding into their front-row seats just in the nick of time. "I'd like to thank you all for coming to tonight's performance and supporting this talented group of students, who I think are really going to impress you this evening. And now, without further ado, it is my great honor to present to you your defending national show choir champions… New Directions!" The audience applauded as the lights in the house dimmed and the curtain rose to reveal the glee club holding their tableau in preparation for the opening number. The music started, the lights came up on stage, and the kids began the first bit of choreography before launching into the song.

_Celebration, whoa...  
__Celebration, whoa..._

The group parted to let Quinn take center stage, singing the lead vocal.

_(Q) Run baby run  
__Run like the child that was born free  
__Go baby go  
__Go like the wind on the blind sea_

_Life's not an illusion  
__You're learning 'bout the love in yourself  
__You'll find all the answers  
__Celebrate, celebrate in your heart_

_(All) Celebration, whoa  
__For a new day, all over the world  
__Celebration, whoa  
__Gotta feel good, wherever you are  
__Celebration, whoa  
__For a new day, all over the world  
__Celebration, whoa  
__Gotta feel good, wherever you are_

Artie took the breakdown.

_(A) Celebration, yeah  
__You gotta do it for a new day  
__Ooh, celebration, yeah  
__You gotta do it, do it, do it, do it, wherever you are_

The audience was clapping in time to the music as Mike and Santana came forward to do a short dance break. It was energetic and fit the mood of the number brilliantly. They then joined Quinn and the rest of the kids on the final chorus.

_Celebration, whoa  
__For a new day, all over the world  
__Celebration, whoa  
__Gotta feel good_

_Aaaaah...celebrate!_

The crowd cheered wildly as the glee kids held the final pose of the opener. The music changed, and the girls started their Carola number, the audience really getting into it, clapping in time and dancing in their seats. A few were even pumping their fists in the air in time with the beat. As they watched, Emma put a hand to her heart and Will smiled brightly, just as they did when they watched the glee club perform "Somebody To Love" at their very first invitational. They were so proud of what they had accomplished over the last couple of years.

"_I am captured by a lovestorm!" _the girls belted out, sending the audience to their feet on the final beat of music. Emma brushed a tear from her eye feeling absolutely proud and Will gave a piercing whistle. If this was a sign of things to come this year, then their competition would better watch out. The second half of the show was just as entertaining as the first, the kids all in matching red T-shirts and black jeans, performing "Empire State of Mind". Puck and Finn took the rap lines and everyone joined in on the chorus, letting everyone know that New Directions was ready for the challenge ahead.

"_In New York…  
__Concrete jungle where dreams are made of  
__There's nothing you can do  
__Now you're in New York  
__These streets will make you feel brand new  
__Big lights will inspire you  
__Hear it for New York, New York…"_

_

* * *

_

Two weeks had passed since the invitational, and New Directions was just a couple of days away from leaving for Europe to start their month-long tour. For Emma and Will, they were feeling excited because the day had finally arrived when they would find out what their baby was going to be. As they sat in the waiting room in Dr. Chin's office, they were discussing possible names for the little one.

"I like Mia or Willow if it's a girl," said Emma. "Or even Danielle. They're all pretty names."

"I was thinking Evan or Michael if it's a boy," added Will. "But whatever it turns out to be, I hope it has your wide eyes and sweet personality, Em."

"And I hope it has your curly hair, and you will be able to teach it to sing and dance as well as you, Will," said Emma. Finally the doctor poked her head out of the doorway, and the people in the waiting room turned their heads.

"Emma and Will?" she said. "I'm ready to see you now." The two got up and followed the doctor into the examining room. She directed Emma to get changed behind the screen into the blue examining gown, and remained to talk to Will while they waited.

"I hear you and the glee club are going to Europe for a month," she said. "That should be exciting. I heard about your success at nationals last year, you should be very proud."

"I really was," replied Will. "But I'm really proud of Emma, she was able to get through a lot over the last few years, and I'm glad she had all the love and support she needed." Just then, he saw his wife emerge from behind the screen. Dr. Chin led her to the examining table and helped her get comfortable.

"Well, are you ready to see your baby?" she asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Emma replied as she felt Will take her free hand in his. The doctor checked her over one more time before bringing the ultrasound machine to the side of the table. No morning sickness, eating well, so far so good. Emma felt the gel being squeezed onto her stomach as the doctor brought the ultrasound wand into contact. Both she and Will turned their heads towards the monitor, where moments later, the image of their baby finally appeared on the screen. Emma, overjoyed, felt a tear run down her cheek. Behind her, Will was also tearing up – this time he knew for certain that this baby was his.

"It's a girl," said Dr. Chin with a smile.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Songs are "Celebration" by Sara Carlson (ESC'91 theme song) and an excerpt of "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys


	5. Paris Is A Fairytale

If anyone thought New Directions would actually be in Paris, they would be crazy not to bet against them. But they had made it. In the days and weeks following the invitational and leading up to their departure for Europe, the glee club, along with Will and Emma, worked as a team to put together a set list of their best songs for the concert tour, agreeing to do a different Eurovision song as a finale for each stop. The biggest finale would be for the show in Dublin, they would be performing a full medley of all seven Irish winners of the contest. And Mike had said that he, Matt, Santana and Brittany were working on something special for the London stop. They still had to figure out what songs they were going to do for the finales of the Paris and Brussels shows.

They had traveled a very long distance, first about an hour south from Lima to Dayton by bus, and then approximately eight hours from Dayton to Paris via New York. When they finally arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport, claimed their luggage and went through passport control, a man holding a sign reading "McKinley High" was waiting for them in the terminal. Will was the first to approach him, shaking the man's hand.

"So you must be Will Schuester, coach of New Directions," the man said with a British accent. "I'm Evan Stewart from the International Performing Arts Federation, I'm the one who contacted your nation's show choir board head about you."

"I'm pleased to meet you," Will replied. "The group behind me of course is the members of New Directions, and with them is our other chaperone Emma. Believe me, we never thought that we would be doing our own tour, this is way beyond imagination."

"Well, you deserved this opportunity after your win in Orlando," said Evan. "You all seem pretty tired after your transatlantic journey, let's get you to the hotel so you can get settled in. I'll explain your itinerary for the next couple of days on the way." He signaled to the group to start following him towards the exit doors, where a chartered wheelchair-accessible bus was waiting for them. Once all their luggage and possessions were stowed in the underside compartments and everyone was loaded onto the bus, they pulled away from the airport.

"Now then," said Evan to Will, Emma and the kids. "You are all staying at the Hôtel Astor Saint Honoré, which is in the eighth arrondissement – it was picked because of the fact that their rooms are all wheelchair accessible. The rest of today and tomorrow is yours to do with what you please, but the following day will be the first of your concerts. You'll be doing one show each of three days at the Olympia." Hearing the name of the theater the club would be playing made Rachel's eyes light up.

"Oh my God," she said. "Guys, the Olympia is one of the most famous and historical music halls in the world! Some of the greatest artists on the planet have performed there!"

"You are quite correct, Miss Berry," Evan said, "and now your group will be added to the list of people who have performed in this historic venue. We have also been able to secure a professional videographer to tape one of the performances so you will have a memento of the occasion. I have received your set list, Will, and I must say that it's very impressive – you're doing past songs from the Eurovision Song Contest?"

"That's right," said Will, "I've been teaching the kids all about the contest as a way of getting them fired up for the trip here. We've decided to do a different song for each tour stop as a finale."

"Speaking of," said Mercedes from somewhere near the middle of the bus, "have we picked a song for the finale of our shows here?" The kids were right, they didn't have a finale song for the Paris concerts yet. But Finn had an idea.

"Mr. Schue can do it," he said. Everyone in the bus looked at Will, who had slightly blushed.

"Dude, you're as much a part of the glee club as we are," added Puck. "And come on, we know you're an awesome performer. You carried that cabaret performance during the fundraiser we had the night you proposed to Mrs. S."

"Puck's right," added Quinn. "How many times since we've been together have we been persuading you to perform with us? You may be our teacher and coach, but as a performer you are amazing." The rest of the kids echoed the sentiments of Finn, Puck and Quinn, and even Emma whispered some encouragement into his ear.

"All right," said Will, "I'll do it." His response sent cheers ringing through the bus from the kids and an embrace from Emma. Unbeknownst to anyone, he actually did have a song he had been practicing, but he wanted to save it for a surprise, one that nobody would ever expect.

* * *

The next day, everyone in glee felt well-rested after a good night's sleep. The day was theirs to do with whatever they wanted, _but don't strain your voices, you're going to need them for tomorrow's concert,_ Will had reminded them, and the kids went their separate ways. Of course, Kurt and Mercedes took off towards the shops on the Champs-Elysees, Quinn and Brittany going with them.

"So what shall we do today, _ma Cherie?_" asked Will as he helped Emma make the bed in the hotel room they shared. "There's so much I want to see, this is my first time in Paris and I want it to be special for us before the craziness of the concerts begin tomorrow." Emma pulled a guidebook from the side table drawer and carefully flipped through it.

"I've always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower," she said. "And the Louvre. An aunt of mine went to Paris on holiday once and fell in love with the city, I just never thought I'd be here myself. But I am glad that I'm here with you and the kids, you've worked hard for this." She packed a few things into her tote bag before Will took her by the hand and led her out of the room. After receiving maps and directions from the desk attendant in the lobby, they were on their way.

Their first stop was a walk along the Champs-Elysees, stopping at the Arc de Triomphe. Emma took a cute photo of Will peeking out from behind the Arc, a huge smile on his face, making her laugh as she captured the moment. After that, they took the metro from where they were to Palais Royale station, where the Louvre was. Already awestruck by the famous museum, Emma wished her aunt was here with her. She felt Will's hand grip hers tightly as they walked towards the entrance to the museum, him paying the admission. They spent a couple of hours there, viewing all the incredible paintings by some of the most renowned artists in the world as well as the sculptures and other works of art. Both took a photo of the Mona Lisa when they got the chance to see it, and both agreed it was the most amazing thing they've ever seen.

After lunch at a nearby café, they got back on the metro, connected to another line and arrived at the Eiffel Tower, the symbol of the city. They got into the elevator and headed up towards the observation deck, where they got a spectacular view of Paris and its nearby landmarks. Emma gently put her hands on the railing and took in the sights before her, the wind rustling her hair.

"Oh Will, it's amazing," she said. "I feel like I'm on top of the world, almost like I'm flying!" She threw her arms out wide and closed her eyes. The next thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Will's gentle smile as he picked her up and carried her in his arms.

"It's all right Em," he said in a soothing voice. "I won't let you go."

* * *

Emma stood in the wings on stage right at the Olympia with Evan as she watched the glee club perform. It was the night following her and Will's adventure in the city, and finally the time had come for the first performance of New Directions' mini-tour. She was glowing with pride listening to the kids sing in front of a sold-out crowd, their set of some of their best songs in their repertoire being featured. The morning and the afternoon was devoted to a tutoring session and a lesson in the French language and culture, as well as a partial rehearsal and sound check for the performance. Everything had come together beautifully for the evening's show.

"So, what is Will going to do for the finale tonight?" Evan whispered.

"I don't know," Emma whispered back, "all I do know is that he had been working on it for quite some time. He said it was a surprise." She applauded loudly along with the audience as the kids finished their last song and came off stage to join her and Evan. The stage went black.

In the wings on the other side was Will, not feeling nervous at all. Since arriving in Paris, he had the chance to rehearse his song only twice, but practiced every chance he got back in Lima. He adjusted the brim of the black fedora he wore on his head, checked his microphone to make sure that it was hooked properly over his ear, then took a deep breath as he walked out onto the darkened stage, and then the next thing everyone heard was violin music. A single spotlight cast a silhouette onto Will, it was him playing! And when it was evident to people in the audience just what exactly he was playing, they started cheering and clapping along to the rhythm. The lights came up, the band joined in for the rest of the intro, and then he began to sing.

_Years ago, when I was younger  
__I kinda liked a girl I knew  
__She was mine and we were sweethearts  
__That was then, but then it's true_

_I'm in love with a fairytale  
__Even though it hurts  
__'Cause I don't care if I lose my mind  
__I'm already cursed_

"Dude, where did he learn to play like that?" Puck said softly as he and the glee club watched their teacher put on an amazing show. Even Emma looked impressed, could the "fairytale" have been her while he was still with Terri back when he first met her? Quinn and Tina walked out behind Will to provide the backup vocals as he continued his song.

_Every day we started fighting  
__Every night we fell in love  
__No one else could make me sadder  
__But no one else could lift me high above_

_I don't know what I was doing  
__When suddenly, we fell apart  
__Nowadays, I cannot find her  
__But when I do, we'll get a brand new start_

_I'm in love with a fairytale  
__Even though it hurts  
__'Cause I don't care if I lose my mind  
__I'm already cursed_

"You go, Mr. Schue!" Mercedes exclaimed quietly, pumping her fist in the air. The violin solo picked up again, and this time the crowd was on its feet, still clapping along. Feeding off their energy, he belted out the last part of the vocals.

_She's a fairytale, yeah...  
__Even though it hurts  
__'Cause I don't care if I lose my mind  
__I'm already cursed!_

One last instrumental break, and he finished with a flourish. The audience cheered and applauded wildly. In the wings, the kids were going insane. And as Emma watched Will take a bow, the message of the song hit her loud and clear…

She had always been his fairytale.

* * *

**Notes:** Song is "Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak (ESC'09)


	6. Together In Rome

"Ciao, Roma!" Will said happily as the train carrying him, Emma, Evan and the glee club pulled into Termini Station. After four days and three fantastic shows in Paris (which the French media hailed as "a smashing success" and "a triumph"), they had taken an overnight train from the station in the neighborhood of Bercy to the Italian capital. Along the way, Emma told the kids about the song she had found for the finale of the Rome concerts and let them listen to the music, and they readily agreed to perform it for the show.

"Great choice of song, Emma," said Evan as the group disembarked the train and collected their belongings, the two of them following close behind the rest of the group as they talked – Will was currently engaged in a conversation with Finn and Rachel a few steps ahead. "With Will and the kids singing that song together as it was intended, I think it's really going to impress the Italian crowd. By the way, do any of them even know the language?"

"I think Will does," Emma replied, "he told me that he took some courses in college. And he's a high school language teacher, so I think he might be able to teach the glee kids the basics along with breaking down the song itself. He has said that Spanish and Italian are similar in structure."

"Which they are, he is right," Evan said. "If the kids can speak Spanish, then they can absolutely pick up Italian easily – it's the same with other languages too. You have a very smart man for a husband, Emma, I deem you to be a very lucky woman indeed."

Emma blushed. At least that much was true.

* * *

"Okay guys, this is a major part of the chorus, and what the song starts with. Repeat after me: 'in-syem-eh'. Insieme," Will said to the students. The group had just checked into the hotel the federation had booked for them and found their rooms, and now the glee club was in a small conference room learning their new song while learning the Italian language at the same time. He had given each student a sheet with the lyrics on it and began to teach the song by breaking down the words by syllables so it would be easier for them to pronounce. Evan and Emma watched the proceedings with great interest, hoping that by the day of the concert, the group would be able to perform it effortlessly on stage.

"In-syem-eh," the kids repeated in clear unison, each looking down at the sheet of paper he or she was holding in their hands. It looked to the adults that they were starting to get the hang of the language, and Will was already smiling. At the rate they were going, they would be ready to perform the song in the concert.

"Now try this," said Will, taking the glee kids into the first chorus because the first two verses were to be sung by him solo. "It goes 'sempre più liberi noi'. But pronounce it as 'sem-pray-pew-lee-bear-e-noy.' You try now."

"Sem-pray-pew-lee-bear-e-noy," the kids replied, Will nodding with a huge grin on his face. Emma applauded from her spot in the corner, feeling proud of what she was witnessing. Over the next little while, the club progressed further, Will breaking down the lyrics while the kids repeated them back until all the adults were satisfied.

"Good job guys," said Will as the group finished the breakdown. "Are you ready to try singing the lyrics now? We'll do it without the music, so you will feel more comfortable with the song, then we'll do it with the music." Raising his right hand, the lyric sheet in the other, he gave the group the starting key, making sure that everyone started on the same pitch. Then they started singing.

* * *

"That sounded great," Emma said once the practice ended and she and Will sent the kids off for some free time. "I think they're really coming along well, the song is everything I hoped it would be."

"Well Em, you sure did pick a good song for this leg of the concert tour," Will replied. "It's got a good beat, a very good message, and even I knew that the Italian audiences would love hearing it performed as it was intended."

"That's exactly what Evan said to me when we arrived in Rome," said Emma. "This idea to incorporate Eurovision songs into the glee club's rotation was one of the best ones you've come up with. I mean, with the invitational, your show-stopping performance in Paris and everything that is to come, I wonder how the kids will build on that. It's a new surprise every day."

"Tell me about it," said Will, "the glee club has been nothing but surprises ever since I took over as their coach." Suddenly, he saw Emma make a slight jerking motion and saw her put a hand to her stomach.

"Oh gosh!" she exclaimed. "The baby just kicked. Come feel." Will inched closer to Will and rested his hand where Emma's was. A second later, he felt the kick and smiled at the thought of his future daughter.

"Hi baby," he said quietly. "It's your daddy, I can't wait to meet you."

* * *

The next day after a huge breakfast, Evan took Emma, Will and the glee club on a tour of the city so they could see for themselves just what the Italian capital had to offer in the way of both modern and ancient sites. It began with a walking tour of Via Veneto, which made the eyes of Kurt and Mercedes light up due to the fact that it was one of Rome's best shopping districts – they couldn't help check out the fashions in several of the store windows with each one they passed.

"One day, I'll be a famous fashion designer," Kurt whispered to Mercedes, "and perhaps my designs will appear in these shop windows." She nodded in agreement, her best pal did have a unique style.

"Hey, check out the two lovebirds over there," Rachel whispered to Finn and pointed to Will and Emma a few steps behind them, who were walking hand in hand and laughing about something. Finn smiled at his mentor, it was nice to see the two of them happy.

Over the course of the day, they saw so much of Rome. The group visited the Spanish Steps, the Coliseum, the ruins of the Roman Forum and St. Peter's Square outside the Vatican. They also visited the Trevi Fountain, where each person in the group tossed a coin into its waters, Evan had told them the saying that when you throw a coin in the fountain, you will return to Rome someday. Emma and Will nodded at each other, perhaps they would return one day.

Their last stop of their day tour was a VIP walkthrough of the Cinecittà movie studios, called the "Hollywood of Italy". The public didn't usually get the opportunity to do this kind of thing, but the federation had pulled several stops to make this happen for New Directions. Evan had told them of the studio's history and some of the productions that had taken place on its lot over the years.

"And over here is Stage 15," Evan said, pointing towards a building. "Since you're learning about Eurovision during your time here in Europe, this soundstage was the venue for the contest that was held here in 1991. Coincidentally enough, that year's contest was supposed to be held in San Remo, but due to security concerns it was moved to Rome at practically the last moment. Up to now, 1991 was the last time Italy staged the Eurovision contest, and they withdrew from further competition after the 1997 contest. The two presenters that year were the two performers who had won for Italy in 1964 and 1990, the latter's song you will be performing in your concerts here in the city."

* * *

"Are you nervous, Will?" Emma whispered as she stood with her husband in the wings of stage right, watching the glee kids perform in their first concert of the Rome leg of the tour. From what they had heard based on the reception of the sold-out audience in the theater, it had been mostly positive. She quietly smoothed the back of the black jacket Will was wearing over a white T-shirt and dark blue jeans until she was satisfied.

"I don't really feel nervous at all," he replied quietly. "Just watching the kids out there giving each song their all always makes me feel so calm. I'm very proud of everything they've accomplished on this tour so far, even though it's just the second stop." Nodding, Emma agreed – the kids had been through so much together, and she had been extremely proud of Will for turning their lives around. Thunderous applause marked the kids' penultimate number just as a stagehand pressed a wireless microphone into Will's hand. The stage was plunged into darkness, and before going on stage himself, Will received a good luck kiss from Emma. He silently took his place at center stage, sitting on a stool that had been placed there, head bowed. The next sounds he heard were the voices of the glee club behind him, singing out into the darkness.

_Insieme, unite, unite, Europe…_

The music started, the lights slowly coming up on stage to reveal the kids snapping their fingers in unison, just as they had rehearsed. Will heard his cue, and began to sing in a gentle voice.

_Con te, così lontano e diverso  
__Con te, amico che credevo perso  
__Io e te, sotto lo stesso sogno  
__Insieme, unite, unite, Europe_

_E per te, donna senza frontiere  
__Per te, sotto le stesse bandiere  
__Io e te, sotto lo stesso cielo  
__Insieme, unite, unite, Europe_

As the song moved into the first chorus, Will got up from his stool and joined his voice with those of the glee club, putting passion into each word. The audience responded by clapping along with the music, some even singing along.

_Sempre più liberi noi  
__Non è più un sogno e non sei più da solo  
__Sempre più in alto noi  
__Dammi una mano che prendiamo il volo  
__L'Europa non è lontana  
__C'è una canzone italiana per voi  
__Insieme, unite, unite, Europe_

The club then walked downstage together until they were just behind Will, standing in a semi-circle as their teacher went into the next verse.

_Per noi, nel cielo mille violini  
__Per noi, amori senza confine_

A couple of female voices, Rachel's and Mercedes', joined his in harmony on the next line before the rest of the group joined in afterwards.

_Io e te, sotto gli stessi ideali, mmm...  
__Insieme, unite, unite, Europe_

_Sempre più liberi noi  
__Non è più un sogno e noi non siamo più soli  
__Sempre più uniti noi  
__Dammi una mano e vedrai che voli  
__L'Europa non è lontana  
__C'è una canzone italiana per voi  
__Insieme, unite, unite, Europe_

_Sempre più liberi noi __(Sempre più liberi)  
__Le nostre stelle, una bandiera sola  
__Sempre più forti noi __(Sempre più forti)  
__Dammi una mano e vedrai si vola  
__L'Europa non è lontana  
__C'è una canzone italiana per voi  
__Insieme, unite, unite, Europe_

Thirteen voices, with Will at the lead, blended together effortlessly for the song's finish.

_L'Europa non è lontana  
__C'è una canzone italiana per voi  
__Insieme, unite, unite... Europe!_

The group held their final positions on stage as the audience leapt to its feet, clapping and cheering, shouting their approval of New Directions' performance. The standing ovation lasted several minutes as the glee club, along with Will, took bow after bow. And from the wings, tears of pride filled Emma's eyes as she applauded along with the crowd.

* * *

**Notes: **Song is "Insieme 1992" by Toto Cutugno (ESC'90)


	7. Dublin Medley

The past week had been a whirlwind for New Directions. Not only had their last two shows in Rome been as successful as their first (with the two Italian Eurovision winners in attendance for the final show), but they had also wowed the crowds during their shows at the Centenary Palace in Brussels largely thanks to Kurt, who performed a brilliant solo of "J'Aime La Vie", Sandra Kim's winner for Belgium back in 1986, completely in French. It had been a total crowd-pleaser and all his own idea, Will and the rest of the group were extremely impressed.

Now they were in Dublin, exploring the downtown streets of the Irish capital, for the fourth stop on their concert tour. They would be performing at the new Grand Canal Theatre, located in the city's docklands. And with that block of concerts came the biggest finale they would ever do – the full medley of all seven songs that won for Ireland at Eurovision.

"Wow," said Will as the group continued to walk through downtown. "It's amazing to think that a country this small could win the Eurovision contest seven times."

"Well Will, back in the glory days of the mid 70s to about the mid 90s, which is what I call the peak of Eurovision," explained Evan, who was walking alongside him and Emma, "with the jury system songs were mostly judged by their quality, which included the performance itself. When telephone voting began, countries put more emphasis on the performance rather than on the song. The Irish won so many times because they kept their performances simple, and that's what the juries were looking for."

"Do you think the glee club will do justice to all those songs?" Emma asked. "I mean, from what I know some of these songs were big hits all across the continent."

"I have total faith in them, Em, so don't worry," Will assured his wife. "Look at all the songs they've performed in the years they've been together, they have covered so many different genres by a lot of fantastic artists. They're going to do great."

"Do you think we'll see leprechauns?" Brittany asked Santana in her usual scatterbrained fashion several paces behind the adults.

* * *

"Shoot!"

It was later in the afternoon back at the glee club's hotel, and Will was facing a dilemma. He was sitting in a chair in the hotel's spacious lobby, looking over the list of vocalists for the finale medley for the concert and he had all the people he picked written down except for one.

"Something wrong, Mr. Schue?" Finn asked, sitting down in a chair beside his teacher. Other glee kids nearby heard him and came to join the two. Finally, Emma came over and sat down in a chair on Will's other side. It had suddenly turned into an emergency glee club pow-wow.

"It's about the medley," Will said. "I just can't find the right voice for the final song. I've got the other six covered as to who's singing what, but it's the seventh I've had trouble with even before we left for Europe."

"What kind of voice does the song need?" asked Quinn.

"It's a very Celtic-influenced song, so it needs a clear, strong, almost lilting female voice," Will explained. "To sort of match that of the original artist."

"Where are we going to find a voice like that?" wondered Tina. The rest of the kids pondered the situation, and then finally, after a few minutes, something hit Will like a bolt of lightning.

"Wait, I got it," he said, then turned towards Emma. "You should sing it, Em, I know you can. You've got a great voice. Remember how you sang to me in the bridal shop when you were engaged to Coach Tanaka?"

"But that was just with you and a couple of other people watching," said Emma. "How could I possibly sing on stage in front of about two thousand people each of three nights?"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Schue," said Mercedes, "we'll be watching you from the wings and cheering you on. Because that's what glee club does – we support one another. We'll also help you get ready for the performance."

"Mercedes is right," added Kurt, "you've done so much for us, and now we'll do something for you. She and I can take you shopping for a dress to wear. Something loose-fitting, but still gorgeous. And we can't forget the jewelry, of course."

"I can teach you some vocal exercises," said Rachel.

"I'm pretty good with makeup," added Tina, "I can do yours before the performance."

"And I'll do your hair," offered Santana. "The way you take care of it, I think it should be easy to work with." Emma looked at the faces of those who offered to help her and smiled. They were all right, with the glee club behind her, she would be all right.

"You've all convinced me," she finally said. "I'll do it. On one condition."

"What's that?" asked Finn. She turned to Will.

"I've heard the song, it's really good," she said. "Will, would you play the violin sections during the performance? Since you were so good during your solo in Paris."

"Emma, for you, it would be an honor," Will said with a smile, causing the rest of the club to applaud and cheer. "Now that we have our medley set, let's rehearse it. Meet me in the main conference hall in ten minutes." The club went off in different directions, leaving Emma and Will alone.

"Do you really think I'll do well up there?" Emma asked.

"You're going to be fantastic," Will replied. "The audience is going to love you. Just like I love you."

* * *

Late the next morning after breakfast, Will sat cross-legged on the bed in his room, violin in his left hand, a pen in the other, his laptop and a notebook in front of him as he watched a video of the 1996 Eurovision winner. He was trying to get the music down for his part in Emma's solo in the medley – the concert was scheduled to go on that night. Kurt and Mercedes had taken Emma dress shopping, so it was the perfect time for him to practice. He dropped the pen, picked up the bow in front of him and after watching a segment of the video, played back the notes he had just heard several times until it sounded right, making notations in the notebook of the fingering. Once he broke down the parts, he started the video again so he could play along with it at the same time. And somehow, it came easier to him than he thought – he found he could play it in unison with the musician in the video and be right on pitch. He smiled as the video came to an end, he was ready.

"Hi sweetie," Emma said some time later as she entered their room, "I see you've been busy." She had just come back from her shopping trip with Mercedes and Kurt, carrying a garment bag in one hand.

"Well, I just wanted to be ready for tonight," Will replied, giving his wife a kiss. "What with my song and now backing you up on yours, I thought your absence was the perfect time to practice. You did very well in the rehearsal we did the other day, you sang beautifully." She had sung her song in front of the rest of the glee club using a backing track (as all the others had done) during their dry run of the medley, and everyone agreed that she had done well, giving her loud applause. How would she do in front of over two thousand people?

"Like I said, don't worry," he went on. "The kids and I have total faith in you. And remember, I'll be right there with you." Getting up from the bed, he walked over to Emma's side and wrapped his arms around her.

"By the way, what did you end up choosing to wear tonight?" he asked.

"You'll have to find out tonight," Emma replied with a small smile.

* * *

That night at the Grand Canal Theatre, another sold-out crowd watched the glee club perform their best songs, each stronger than the last. They had just finished their version of "Somebody To Love" to thunderous applause, then the stage went to black as the kids who were participating in the medley quickly changed into their next outfits. Moments later, a voice came over the sound system.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," the voice announced, "the members of New Directions will perform a full medley of all the songs that have won for Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest over the years. Please enjoy their take on some great songs." Warm applause punctuated the announcement, and the lights came up to reveal Finn and Puck (who had since repaired their friendship), dressed in jeans and black T-shirts, standing center stage to sing the first song.

_(P)I remember sixty-two  
I was sixteen and so were you  
And we lived next door on the avenue_

_(F)Jerry Lee was big and Elvis too  
Blue jeans and blue suede shoes  
And we never knew what life held in store  
We just wanted to rock 'n' roll forever more_

_(P/F)We were the rock 'n' roll kids  
Rock 'n' roll was all we did  
And listenin' to those songs on the radio  
I was yours and you were mine  
That was once upon a time  
Now we never seem to rock 'n' roll anymore_

They continued through the rest of the song, performing it brilliantly. When it ended, the two boys received loud applause. Tina came on stage next, wearing a dark blue velvet dress, black tights and her favorite old pair of combat boots, dark blue streaks in her hair to match. She sat on a stool and performed her version of Ireland's very first winning song.

_Snowdrops and daffodils, butterflies and bees  
Sailboats and fishermen, things of the sea  
Wishing wells, wedding bells, early morning dew  
All kinds of everything remind me of you_

_Seagulls and aeroplanes, things of the sky  
Winds that go howling, breezes that sigh  
City sights, neon lights, grey skies or blue  
All kinds of everything remind me of you_

She sang in a strong, gentle voice, obviously bringing some nostalgia to members of the audience. She too received loud applause at the end of her song, smiling at the crowd as she walked off stage. Next up was Quinn, looking beautiful in a maroon silk blouse and long black skirt. The song she was given reminded her so much of herself, and she put herself into the words.

_Showing no emotion, my feelings locked inside  
I made myself an island, trying to take my heart and hide  
I built a wall around me, afraid of letting go  
But suddenly an open door I never saw before_

_In your eyes (Your eyes)  
I see the light leading me home again  
It's heaven in your arms, my love  
My heart is in your hands  
(Heaven in your arms)  
In your eyes (Your eyes)  
Seems so right  
I see forever in your smile  
This woman is a child again  
(In your eyes)_

She gave an incredible performance, giving it all she had. Kurt followed Quinn, dressed in a white sweater and black pants, performing the song that re-wrote Eurovision history.

_Don't, don't close your heart to how you feel  
Dream, and don't be afraid the dream's not real  
Close your eyes, pretend it's just the two of us again  
Make believe this moment's here to stay_

_Touch, touch me the way you used to do  
I know tonight could be all I'll have with you  
From now on, you'll be with someone else instead of me  
So tonight, let's fill this memory  
For the last time_

_Hold me now  
Don't cry, don't say a word  
Just hold me now  
And I will know  
Though we're apart  
We'll always be together  
Forever in love  
What do you say when words are not enough?_

He sang with passion, and hit all the high notes and key change perfectly. Next in the medley was Rachel, looking pretty in a red satin dress, performing her ballad with the same style she put into all her songs.

_Sometimes I watch you passing by my window  
And sometimes I watch you passing through my dreams  
And sometimes, when I look at you  
You take my breath away_

_Sometimes I try and understand your reasons  
You choose to feel the way you feel about me  
And sometimes, when I turn around  
And you're there, like today  
I wanna say:_

_Why me?  
I look at you and I get to feeling  
Why me? (Why me? Ooh...)  
I know it's true but I can't believe it  
I keep on wondering why  
My love shines in your eyes  
Why me?  
I look at you and I ask myself  
Why me?_

When Rachel finished, there wasn't a dry eye left in the room, she was so good. Next was Will, dressed in jeans, a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and the black fedora he wore in Paris. He played his guitar while singing his version of the second song that won for the Irish.

_I've been waiting such a long time  
Looking out for you, but you're not here  
What's another year?_

_I've been waking such a long time  
Reaching out for you, but you aren't near  
What's another year?_

_What's another year  
For someone who's lost everything that he owns?  
What's another year  
For someone who's getting used to being alone?_

His acoustic solo got tremendous applause from the audience. As the stage went dark, he quickly rushed off stage to give the guitar to a stagehand in exchange for his violin. The stage was now set for the final song of the medley, the musicians all in place. Finally, Emma's voice pierced through the darkness.

_I hear your voice on the wind  
And I hear you call out my name…_

When the lights came up, Emma was standing at the microphone wearing a long, cream-colored satin gown. Her hair was done in an updo, and her jewelry sparkled under the stage lights.

_"Listen my child," you say to me  
"I am the voice of your history"  
"Be not afraid, come follow me"  
"Answer my call and I'll set you free"_

On the word "free", Will began playing the first violin part, and he played it flawlessly. Emma then continued the song in a voice as clear as crystal.

_I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain  
I am the voice of your hunger and pain  
I am the voice that always is calling you  
I am the voice, I will remain_

_I am the voice in the fields when the summer's gone  
The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow  
Ne'er do I sleep throughout all the cold winter long  
I am the force that in springtime will grow_

Looking over her shoulder, she saw Will performing a short instrumental solo, giving it everything he had. With him behind her and the glee club watching in the wings, she grew more confident as the song progressed.

_I am the voice of the past that will always be  
Filled with my sorrows and blood in my fields  
I am the voice of the future  
Bring me your peace  
Bring me your peace and my wounds, they will heal_

_I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain  
I am the voice of your hunger and pain  
I am the voice that always is calling you  
I am the voice_

_I am the voice of the past that will always be  
I am the voice of your hunger and pain  
I am the voice of the future  
I am the voice  
I am the voice  
I am the voice  
I am the voice…._

On the last note, the crowd jumped to its feet and roared its approval, clapping and cheering loudly. Will came over and gave Emma a kiss as the rest of the glee club joined them on stage for their curtain call.

"You did it, Em," Will whispered in her ear as the group took their bows. "I'm so proud of you."

* * *

**Notes: **Songs are "Rock n' Roll Kids" by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan (ESC'94), "All Kinds Of Everything" by Dana (ESC'70), "In Your Eyes" by Niamh Kavanagh (ESC'93), "Hold Me Now" by Johnny Logan (ESC'87), "Why Me?" by Linda Martin (ESC'92), "What's Another Year?" by Johnny Logan (ESC'80) and "The Voice" by Eimear Quinn (ESC'96)


	8. London Magic

"They called it a tour de force," said Evan as the New Directions group checked into their hotel in London. "The Irish press couldn't stop raving about the finale medley, it was the best thing they ever heard since the original artists won with those songs."

"What did they say exactly, Mr. Stewart?" asked Rachel.

"For one thing, Rachel, they said you had an angelic voice and that you performed 'Why Me' brilliantly," Evan replied. "Puck and Finn's take on 'Rock n' Roll Kids' was inspired, Tina sang 'All Kinds Of Everything' with a hint of innocence, Quinn's 'In Your Eyes' was strong and beautiful, and Kurt really did justice to 'Hold Me Now'. But they saved the best comments for your teachers."

"Mr. and Mrs. Schue were amazing, weren't they?" said Mercedes. "I had no idea that Mrs. S was such a great singer."

"That's what the press said," Evan remarked. "Will's acoustic solo of 'What's Another Year' was well-played and the song showed of the strong, passionate range of his incredible voice. And Emma, your version of 'The Voice' sounded ethereal and lovely, it was almost as if the original singer was performing it. You have a lovely tone to your voice."

"Why, thank you," Emma said shyly.

"Don't be modest, Em," said Will, reassuring her. "You were incredible. Didn't you hear the audience cheering for you every night? Three sold-out crowds. And I bet Figgins would love all this press we're giving the school – he thrives on that. I've been keeping him updated as to our progress on this tour, this whole month has gone by so fast."

"And we're finishing it off here in London, I can't believe it," said Tina breathlessly. "I've always wanted to come here, but I'm never going to forget this tour experience for as long as I live. It will be something I'll tell my children about, saying I was part of an amazing show choir and I got to see Europe."

"That's the spirit," said Will with a smile. "You've all made memories that will last a lifetime. Now that we've all checked in, we should get cleaned up in our rooms and have something to eat shortly. Evan got us all tickets to tonight's performance of _Wicked_ in the West End as part of our stay here in London."

"You're kidding, right?" said Rachel, obviously looking excited.

"I am most certainly not," replied Evan. "I understand you sang 'Defying Gravity' at a practice during your first year together, so that inspired me to let you see the real thing. It's not quite Broadway, but the West End is about the closest you can get." Everyone watched as Rachel rushed away, obviously up to her room. Will and Emma looked at each other and smiled.

"Obviously she's excited," said Emma.

"So am I," replied Will. "Let's go get ready for the show."

* * *

The applause rang throughout the theater as the cast took their bows, everyone in the audience including Emma, Will, Evan and the glee kids were on their feet cheering. The whole musical was amazing to see up close and the entire group loved it. The curtain came down, the house lights came up and the audience were making their way up the aisles towards the exits, taking their souvenirs and belongings with them.

"That was incredible," Tina said. "The costumes, the special effects, I actually feel more pumped than ever when we start our new competition season. Sort of like a renewed energy and spirit."

"I know what you mean," added Artie, who was wheeling up the aisle beside her. "I feel like we're ready to take another run at nationals. We may be the defending champions, but we're going to fight hard to win again."

"That's the kind of positive thinking I like to hear," said Will with a smile, walking right behind them with Emma at his side. "Take what you've learned from this tour and channel it into positive energy for what is to come. We have sectionals about a week or so after we return home to the States, so we've got to give these last few concerts here everything that we've got." He had received a list of the two schools New Directions would be competing against from the competition organizers via e-mail and wanted to talk to the kids about possible songs they wanted to do.

"By the way," said Emma to the kids as they were walking the few blocks back to the hotel, "what kinds of songs would you guys like to do for sectionals?"

"Start with something strong, with really cool dance moves," said Mike. "Something that will grab attention."

"And we can't forget the ballad," added Finn. "Maybe counter a high-energy opener with something slow."

"How about a Eurovision song to close?" suggested Tina. "You know, keep the theme we've been doing since school started – if we start with an up-tempo song and do a slow song for the ballad, we should do another up-tempo song to finish."

"Those are all amazing suggestions," said Will, the wheels in his mind turning already. "And I think I have the perfect closer, if you guys don't mind doing ABBA."

"You mean the 'Dancing Queen' group?" asked Kurt. "I do think their style at the time was very interesting. How did Eurovision help them?"

"The contest practically launched their career and they became one of the biggest pop groups in the world," Will replied. "They represented their homeland of Sweden in the 1974 contest in Brighton and won, the song the group entered, 'Waterloo', became a huge hit not just in Europe, but in other parts of the world as well. And 25 years later, their songs became the foundation of the musical 'Mamma Mia' which later spawned the 2008 movie version. It's a song everyone knows and has a great beat, I honestly think you guys could pull it off."

* * *

The next day, Evan took everyone on a guided tour of London, since this was his hometown and where he worked, he knew the city well. Mike, Brittany, Matt and Santana decided to stay behind at the hotel so they could work on their number for the concert, which was taking place that evening. For the first two shows, they would be playing a smaller venue, but the very last show would be at the O2, Evan had told the group that the federation wanted to end their concert tour on a high note, and what better place to do so than one of the best live venues in the world.

He took them everywhere – the group saw Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace and a lot of the major tourist attractions in the city, they even saw some things that tourists didn't really know about. Then after a delicious lunch at a popular restaurant, they went on a river cruise of the Thames where the landmarks seemed more surreal from everyone's point of view, and after that a walk through Regent's Park.

"Just wait till I tell my family about all this," said Emma as they continued to walk through the park. "Especially my sister Melanie, she's always wanted to come here to London." Nearby, Will and some of the glee kids were taking pictures, the latter group to show their families and he to create a scrapbook of all their adventures on the tour.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Emma," said Evan. "It has been an absolute pleasure on behalf of the International Performing Arts Federation to have you here in Europe, New Directions has been an incredible joy to watch over this past month, they are a very talented group of kids and they are very lucky to have Will as their coach. He's done a lot for them, I can tell."

"More than you will ever know," replied Emma with a smile, looking over at Will with pride.

"Well, I hope you return to the United States with memories of this experience to last a lifetime," added Evan. "Believe me, I will never forget all of you, and I hope you will keep in touch about how your competitions are going."

* * *

After two shows at the smaller venue, the stage was set for the final concert of the glee club's European mini-tour. The O2 was packed with people who had come to see the show, and the kids delivered song after amazing song to the delight of the crowd. Each number was performed to thunderous applause, and Will, who was watching the action backstage with Emma and Evan, couldn't have been prouder of his students. They had decided to stay an extra day in London after this final show to celebrate the tour's end and its success, and then the following day they would return to Lima to get ready for Thanksgiving, sectionals and the upcoming Christmas holiday.

"This is practically the biggest audience any McKinley High glee club has ever performed in front of," he said quietly. "This is even bigger than the audience at the national finals last year." His eyes were sparkling with pride as he continued to watch the club go through one of their biggest crowd-pleasing numbers.

"And this is the most excited I've seen Will since New Directions won nationals last year," Emma confided to Evan. "He just has so much joy for these kids, ask him anything about the glee club and he'll give you a smile that will light up a room." Evan nodded in agreement, even he could see the pride in the glee director's face. When the number ended, the crowd responded with loud cheers as the stage faded to black and stagehands rushed to put four microphone stands on. They rushed off just as Brittany, Mike, Santana and Matt took their places on stage. The next sound everyone heard was the sound of drums as the music started and the lights came up to reveal the four with their backs to the audience just as they had rehearsed and remembered from the video they had seen – the girls in black circle skirts and black halter tops with shimmering details (Brittany in pink, Santana in blue), the guys in black pants and T-shirts to match their partners. Finally, they launched into their energetic performance.

_You gotta speed it up  
__And then you gotta slow it down  
__Cause if you believe that our love can hit the top  
__You gotta play around  
__But soon you will find that there comes a time  
__For making your mind up_

_(Mi/Ma)_ _You gotta turn it on  
__And then you gotta put it out  
__You gotta be sure that it's something  
__Everybody's gonna talk about  
__(All)_ _Before you decide that the time's arrived  
__For making your mind up_

_Don't let your indecision  
__Take you from behind  
__Trust your inner vision  
__Don't let others change your mind_

The four launched into an energetic hand jive on the next verse.

_And now you really gotta burn it up  
__And make another fly by night  
__Get a run for your money  
__And take a chance and it'll turn out right  
__But when you can see how it's gotta be  
__You're making your mind up_

During the instrumental break, Matt took Santana and Mike took Brittany through a well-choreographed jive section, twisting and turning their partners about and at one point lifting them in the air before returning to their microphones.

_(Mi/Ma)_ _And try to look as if you don't care less  
__But if you wanna see some more_

On the word "more", the guys reached for the girls' skirts and ripped them off, revealing Brittany and Santana's shimmery pink and blue mini skirts. The crowd roared with delight.

_Bending the rules of the game  
__Will let you find the one you're looking for  
__(All)And then you can show that you think you know  
__You're making your mind up_

_Don't let your indecision  
__Take you from behind  
__Trust your inner vision  
__Don't let others change your mind_

_And now you really gotta speed it up  
__And then you gotta slow it down  
__'Cause if you believe that our love can hit the top  
__You gotta play around  
__But soon you will find that there comes a time  
__For making your mind up_

_And now you really gotta speed it up  
__And then you gotta slow it down  
__'Cause if you believe that our love can hit the top  
__You gotta play around  
__But soon you will find that there comes a time  
__For making your mind up  
__For making your mind up  
__For making your mind up  
__For making your mind up!_

The four held their positions on the last note of the song, and the audience went crazy. They were all standing, cheering and applauding wildly. The rest of the club joined the others at center stage where they took their bows and several people came on to give them all flowers. Finn reached over to one of the stands behind him and took the microphone in his hand.

"Thank you so much," he said as the crowd quieted down. "On behalf of New Directions, we'd like to say thank you for coming out and supporting us tonight. This tour has been something we'll remember forever." The audience applauded as Finn handed off the microphone to Rachel.

"We'd also like to thank Evan Stewart and the International Performing Arts Federation for making this all possible and for believing in us," she said. "Thank you for all your support over this past month, it's been amazing. And another thanks to all the people at the various venues we performed at for your warmth and hospitality." More applause followed, and Finn took the microphone once more.

"Finally, we'd like to thank someone very special to us," he went on. "If it weren't for him and the dedication, energy and passion he has put into making us the group we are today, then we wouldn't be here right now, so we'd like to bring him out for a bow. Ladies and gentlemen, make some noise for an incredible teacher, a terrific coach and an all-around amazing person, Mr. Will Schuester!"

More wild cheers and applause came from the crowd as Emma pushed Will out on stage. The glee kids were cheering wildly as well while their teacher walked out and stood dead center in the middle of the spotlight. Smiling, he waved to the audience and took a well-deserved bow, another person giving him a bouquet of flowers of his own.

And with that, the curtain came down on New Directions' amazing European adventure.

* * *

**Notes: **Song is "Making Your Mind Up" by Bucks Fizz (ESC'81)


	9. A Gleeful Christmas

A few days after Will, Emma and the glee club returned to Lima from Europe, the group settled back into the regular groove at McKinley High. But there were differences from when the club first started to now – very few of the glee kids were getting slushie facials. Were things starting to turn around for the group? It almost seemed as if the club was sort of rising up the social ladder of the school, but there was still a ways to go.

"Schue, Emma, welcome back," said Principal Figgins after he called the couple to his office for a chat. "I trust you had a good time in Europe?"

"It was amazing," said Will. "Everything we saw, everything we did, we're never going to forget all this. And the concerts were incredible, the kids performed their hearts out and I'm so proud of them all."

"As he should be," added Emma. "The crowds at each of the tour stops just loved them."

"And from what I received from the reports you gave me, Will," said the principal, "the press in each of the five cities on the tour couldn't stop raving about the glee club and how brilliantly they performed. It has given huge amounts of international publicity to the school, and for that I'm truly grateful."

"We're very grateful too, sir," said Will. "Both Emma and I knew you would be pleased with the publicity the tour has brought to McKinley High. Evan Stewart, the representative from the performing arts federation who traveled with us throughout the tour, told me that he would have DVD copies of the concerts sent before Christmas which would include all the finales – each of the kids as well as the two of us are getting their own copy. Since we'd only need one copy to share between me and Emma, we're going to donate our extra copy to the school."

"Fabulous," said Figgins. "I also understand you have sectionals coming up for the glee club. As a reward for your success, I will grant you whatever funds you need to make it through your competition year."

"We don't know what to say," said Emma. "What about Sue? You know she'll do anything to get more money for the Cheerios."

"The Cheerios have enough money as it is," the principal confided. "Besides, this is a more important cause right now. Most of the glee club is scheduled to graduate this year, and I've already received word that each and every member is being considered for arts scholarships to major universities across the country. We should send them off with a bang."

"You're absolutely right," Will said with a smile on his face. "The kids have worked so hard over the years. If there's one thing they deserve when they leave McKinley High, it's another national championship."

"Positive thinking works," Figgins said. "Now go and make this school proud, good luck at sectionals." He dismissed the two, and together they left the office.

"Emma," Will said as they walked down the hallway, "I wanted to ask you this for so long. You've been the glee club's biggest supporter and fan, it's like you're our lucky charm. I was wondering, would you co-direct the club with me?"

"Yes, I'd love to," Emma replied, "anything to help those kids." The two shared an embrace as they went off towards the teachers' lounge.

* * *

"So Emma, I mean, Mrs. Schuester, has agreed to be the glee club's official co-director," Will told the kids at the next glee practice. "We've also decided to have a Christmas party at our apartment on Christmas Day, and you're all invited."

"That's terrific," exclaimed Finn, happy that Emma was now the co-director of New Directions. Now they really were glee's parental figures, and the entire group couldn't have been happier with the news. Everyone was all smiles as they congratulated her on her new position.

"So now that we have that news out of the way," Emma went on, "we should keep working on our set for sectionals. We've got our closer down, so we need an opener and a ballad. Anyone have any suggestions?" Tina raised her hand.

"If nobody minds, I would like to do the ballad," she said. "There's a song I've been listening to recently that I thought would be perfect, it's slow tempo and would compliment our finale well." Getting up from her chair, she handed the sheet music she had found online to the pianist and faced the rest of the group.

_Give me time to reason,__  
__Give me time to think it through__  
__Passing through the season,__  
__where I cheated you_

_I will always have a cross to wear,__  
__but the bolt reminds me I was there_

_So give me strength,__  
__to face this test tonight_

_If only I could turn back time__  
__If only I had said what I still hide__  
__If only I could turn back time__  
__I would stay for the night._

_For the night..._

_Claim your right to science__  
__Claim your right to see the truth__  
__Though my pangs of conscience,__  
__Will drill a hole in you_

_I seen it coming like a thief in the night,__  
__I seen it coming from the flash of your light_

_So give me strength,__  
__to face this test tonight_

_If only I could turn back time__  
__If only I had said what I still hide__  
__If only I could turn back time..__  
__I would stay for the night_

_The bolt reminds me I was there__  
__the bolt reminds me I was there_

_If only I could turn back time__  
__If only I had said what I still hide__  
__If only I could turn back time__  
__I would stay for the night_

_If only I could_

_If only I could…_

When the last notes of the music faded away, the entire room burst into applause. Even Rachel seemed impressed.

"I think we've found our ballad, Mr. Schue," she said, looking at Tina with a smile. Will agreed, Tina had done a heck of a job with that song. They had also decided to do "I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man)" from _Footloose_ with Finn on lead, and Mike and Brittany offered to do a dance routine during "Waterloo" to make the number more appealing. Rachel and Quinn decided to take the lead female vocals on the song with the rest of the group singing together on the chorus.

"All right, we've got our set for sectionals," said Will, a huge smile on his face. "Now let's get to work, we've got a lot to do in a few days."

* * *

Finally, sectionals came around at last. For New Directions, it was the first step towards defending their national championship title. They were the heavy favorites going into the competition, but even they were unaware of that status. The two groups that had performed before them had both done well, but Emma had noticed that they lacked the spark and determination that the McKinley group had.

"Okay guys," Will said to the kids assembled in the green room, giving them a pep talk. The glee club were all dressed in costumes Emma had chosen for them – the girls in smoky gray dresses with black Capri tights underneath, the guys in black pants and gray dress shirts. "We've worked really hard over the last few days, so let's go out there and give it all we've got. Channel your energy from the European tour we just did into an incredible performance today, I know you'll make us proud." Just then, he heard the chime signaling the end of the second break.

"Showtime!" he exclaimed happily, and the kids rushed out of the green room towards the stage.

Will and Emma had just taken their seats when the emcee introduced New Directions. They watched as the curtain came up and the group went into their first performance, and they were dead on. Finn's voice was right on form, and the touches they had done on the choreography for the song really made it work. It ended in thunderous applause, then the lights changed and Tina stood center stage to sing the ballad, as if she were born to do it – her voice really suited the melody. When the song finished, she received loud cheers.

At last, it was time for their closer. The familiar music boomed over the sound system as Mike and Brittany ran forward to do the high-energy dance routine they had been working on, and Rachel and Quinn took the lead.

_(R/Q)__ My, my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender__  
__Oh yeah, and I have met my destiny in quite a similar way__  
__The history book on the shelf__  
__Is always repeating itself_

_(All)Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war__  
__Waterloo - Promise to love you forever more__  
__Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to__  
__Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you__  
__Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo_

_(R/Q)My, my, I tried to hold you back but you were stronger__  
__Oh yeah, and now it seems my only chance is giving up the fight__  
__And how could I ever refuse__  
__I feel like I win when I lose_

_(All)Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war__  
__Waterloo - Promise to love you forever more__  
__Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to__  
__Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you__  
__Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo_

_(R/Q)So how could I ever refuse__  
__I feel like I win when I lose -_

_(All)Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to__  
__Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you__  
__Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo_

_Oooh, Waterloo – Knowing my fate is to be with you_

_Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa Waterloo – Finally facing my Waterloo_

The audience was dancing in the aisles through the entire song, and applauding wildly each time Mike lifted Brittany in the air. At the end of the song, the whole crowd was on its feet cheering. It was obvious to them who had won, but that would be left up to the judges.

* * *

All too soon, the three groups were standing in front of the closed curtain on stage. The trophies were set on a table to one side and the head judge was now standing in front of the competitors. Emma took Will's hand and held on tight.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment we've all been waiting for. But first, let's give a round of applause to all the groups who competed today and gave exceptional performances." The entire theater burst into applause. When the applause died down, the head judge announced the results, beginning with third place, which went to the group from Dayton who had performed just before the McKinley team. They had seemed pleased with themselves as they received the third place trophy.

"And now, let's get to what we're still waiting for," said the head judge as he tore open the envelope that was in his hand and looked at the card inside. "This year's West Central Ohio sectionals champions, who will go on to represent us in Columbus at the Mid-Ohio Regional competition in February are, by a unanimous decision… New Directions!"

The applause in the auditorium was deafening as the kids celebrated and Will and Emma embraced each other. The head judge then came over to give Will the first-place trophy, and he hoisted it in the air to the delight of the students and the continued cheers of the crowd.

Step one of their road to nationals was complete, but there was still a ways to go.

* * *

"Will honey, wake up," Emma cooed, gently nudging her husband who was still fast asleep. A light snow was falling outside their bedroom window and she had been up for the last ten minutes making sure the last of the presents was under the tree, she was usually up and out of bed before him. Much time had passed since the glee club's win at sectionals, and now it was Christmas morning.

"Merry Christmas, my angel," said Will when he finally opened his eyes and saw his wife standing nearby in her red flannel nightgown, her pregnancy showing more than ever. She gave him a kiss as he sat up, then felt the tug of his hand in hers as she gently eased him out of bed. He put his slippers on, then followed Emma into the living room. A fire was going in the fireplace, and a pile of brightly wrapped presents was waiting under the tree. Emma reached down and picked up the first gift.

"Here you go," she said, passing the gift to Will. "I figured you might need this to help you with glee club." He tore off the wrapping to reveal a brand new iPod Touch and an iTunes gift card. She knew that he wanted this more than anything.

"Thank you, Em, I love it," he said with a smile, then reached down to get another gift. "And this is for you." Passing it over to Emma, he watched as she unwrapped a small black box. Opening it, she saw a gold necklace with a music note and a heart pendant lying on a bed of white satin. Will carefully lifted it out of the box and fastened it around her neck.

"Oh, it's beautiful," she said breathlessly. "Thank you so much, Will." They continued to exchange presents, then opened gifts they had received from some of the other McKinley teachers as well as their families. The last presents left under the tree were the ones they had bought for the glee club, which they would present to them that afternoon during the party.

"I'm really happy with my gifts," said Emma as she cuddled close to Will.

"Me too," Will replied.

The entire glee club came by in the afternoon, wishing their teachers merry Christmas. Quinn and Puck each held a large present in their hands, the club had all chipped in to buy both Emma and Will each a gift. And so the party was under way. They laughed, they talked, they had their fill of snacks and Will sat at the digital piano and led the group in some Christmas songs. Emma then gave the kids their gifts, the girls got a silver charm bracelet with a custom-made New Directions charm and a charm that showed how each girl was special to them, and the boys received key rings with a similar theme to the girls' bracelets.

"Mr. Schue," said Quinn, "the glee club all pitched in and got you and Mrs. Schue each a gift. We chose them with both of you in mind and we hope you like them." She and Puck handed the gifts to Will and Emma, who opened them quickly as smiles lit up their faces. Emma had received a basket of scented bath products along with a pack of pocket-sized hand sanitizers, and Will had received a set of music books.

"Thank you everyone," said Emma, "these are incredible gifts."

"There's one more thing," said Rachel, and she passed an envelope over to Will. "Should we get the honor of going to nationals in New York, I think this would be great for you while we're there." Will had tore open the envelope and his eyes grew wide at what he was now holding.

"Front row seats to 'Phantom of the Opera' on Broadway?" he said. "This is incredible! How on Earth did you manage this?"

"My dads helped," Rachel explained. "They know all about you two and our goal of making it to nationals, so they pitched in and bought the tickets. Do you like them?"

"We love them, I've always wanted to see that show," said Emma. "I feel more motivated to help you all get to nationals now." She smiled at everyone and held Will close to her.

This truly was the merriest Christmas ever.

* * *

**Notes: **Songs are "Turn Back Time" by Aqua and "Waterloo" by ABBA (ESC'74)

Merry Christmas, everyone...may it be filled with Glee!


	10. Save Your Kisses For Me

Christmas had come and gone, which meant the new year was not too far away. That also meant when school started up again after the winter break, New Directions had to start gearing up for regionals – this time around looked to be an easier battle with Vocal Adrenaline after what Will, Finn and Rachel had seen at the Carmel fall invitational, yet the group still managed to win the east central sectional title. The central division champion was a school he never heard of, but he definitely knew that much of the focus would be on the McKinley-Carmel rivalry.

"The kids have nothing to worry about this time around, I think," said Emma, who had come out of the kitchen with two steaming mugs of tea, about to watch the DVD of the concert tour that had been sent to everyone in the club a couple days before Christmas. Will had updated Evan about the club's sectionals victory as he had promised, and would keep him up to date about preparations for regionals. But for now, he just wanted to spend some time with his beautiful wife, who now was four months pregnant and glowing with each passing day.

"You look beautiful as always, hon," he said as Emma sat down beside him and set the two mugs on the coffee table, planting a kiss on her cheek. Opening the case, he took out the DVD and put it in the player, then sat back down and used the remote control, seeing the interactive menu come up on the screen. "New Directions European Tour", the title read, with some images of the club in action. Whoever the federation hired to do this video project must have been really good. Will used the remote to highlight the word "Concert" on the menu and selected it, seeing the opening titles appear. Both had been so proud of the kids for their achievements during their month abroad, and they certainly hoped that the positive energy would continue into the next competition.

Almost two hours later, they had finished the main concert section of the DVD. Both Will and Emma agreed that the kids looked amazing and that the performances sounded just as good on the recording as they were when they saw them live. Even though the main performance was recorded at the first show in Paris, the federation also sent separate crews to the other venues to catch the finales for the disc's bonus section.

"Which one do you want to see first?" Will asked as he brought up the bonus features screen.

"I'd really like to see the Dublin medley," replied Emma. "Not just because we were both in it of course, but just because aside from the Rome finale, it was my absolute favorite of the whole tour."

"Your wish is my command, my lady," Will said with a smile, and highlighted the one Emma requested. Then he sat back, put his arm around Emma's shoulder and watched the medley unfold. They saw all the kids in the medley perform their songs with ease, Emma couldn't stop gushing over how wonderful they all sounded. Then they saw Will's image on the screen, hearing his gentle voice sing his song.

"You're such a natural up there, so relaxed," commented Emma.

"It comes with years of experience being in the McKinley High glee club," said Will with a smile. Whenever he was on stage, he felt like he was truly alive, and not many teachers at the school could openly say that they had at least some talent. Will didn't say it, but people could tell in the way he coached New Directions.

"Now you, on the other hand," he said, "you looked so beautiful on that night. And you sounded perfect." Emma's image now appeared, her voice filling the entire apartment with its sweetness.

"Well, it did help having my wonderfully talented husband up there with me," Emma replied. As the song ended, she hugged Will close.

"I wonder if the kids have seen their copies yet," she wondered. "Maybe we could have them over for a New Year's party, we could all watch the concert together and countdown to midnight. That sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it?"

"What a great idea," Will said, taking out his phone. "I'll send messages to the glee club right away. Feel free to watch another finale if you like." Flipping through his address book labeled "New Directions", he sent text messages to all the glee kids inviting them over for New Year's Eve, just as he started hearing the strains of the song the group did for their finale in Rome.

"Promise me one thing for New Year's Eve," said Will.

"What's that?" Emma asked.

"At midnight, you save your kisses for me," he replied.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Will," said Emma.

* * *

"So while we were watching that from the wings," said Puck, "I asked 'dude, where did he learn to play like that?' Watching that song was so cool." It was New Year's Eve, and everyone in the glee club had come over to Will and Emma's apartment to celebrate. They had just finished watching the Paris finale of the concert DVD, in which Will had surprised everyone by busting out a violin and bringing the house down with his performance of the song "Fairytale". For some, it was the first time they were watching themselves perform on the tour, which had been an absolute blast.

"Seems like it's fairly obvious to me," said Rachel, "Mr. Schue plays by ear. But how he was able to learn violin so well in just a short period of time is simply amazing."

"Guilty as charged," Will said with a smile, "you found me out, Rachel. I actually started learning how to play after Emma and I got back from our honeymoon, I wanted to try a new instrument. So I learned by watching videos on my computer and playing back what I heard. The song I sang in the concert finale in Paris, I didn't start learning until a couple of weeks before we left for Europe. I wanted to keep it a secret until the night of the first show."

"Well, it sure was a neat surprise, Mr. Schue," said Tina. "It sure is great to have a teacher who's so talented. What else did you learn to play yourself?"

"I actually taught myself to play guitar as well," Will replied. "The only thing I was actually taught by someone else was piano, an aunt of mine actually still works as a piano teacher and she taught me everything she knew. I could read music long before I joined the glee club in high school."

"Maybe it was destiny that Mr. Schue was meant to take over glee," mused Mercedes. "Someone who has the same love and passion for music that most of us do. We wouldn't be going anywhere, let alone win a national championship last year, if he hadn't come into our lives." People around the room nodded, and Will slightly blushed. Mercedes did have a point, glee club had been going nowhere before he took it over, and before their big win the previous year, no McKinley High club since Will's own team in 1993 had won a national show choir championship. Perhaps things had a way of working out, especially in finding the love of his life in Emma.

* * *

The party reached a fever pitch just a few minutes before midnight. Will had gotten everyone some cans of soda while Emma passed out party hats and tiaras. The TV was showing live images of Times Square in New York in preparation for the ball drop to usher in the new year.

"What a year it's been for all of us," said Finn. "Winning our first nationals, Mr. and Mrs. Schue getting married, the tour, and now another baby on the way – it's all been a dream come true. My wish for the new year is that we keep this good thing going, even with most of us graduating this year."

"I couldn't agree more, Finn," said Will as he saw the images on the screen. "Just think, come springtime we could be in New York too." Nearby, Kurt was saying something to Rachel, but they were talking so quietly that he couldn't hear.

"Here we go!" exclaimed Tina as the illuminated crystal globe began to make its descent. The seconds ticked by, the group of fourteen watching growing more excited with each passing tick of the clock. Thirty, twenty, fifteen…

"10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

At that very moment, the entire group clicked their soda cans together in celebration before splitting up into various couples to share a New Year's kiss. Quinn was smooched by Puck, Artie kissed Tina, Finn and Rachel exchanged embraces and kisses, Mercedes and Kurt gave each other a kiss on each cheek, Brittany embraced Santana joyfully and Mike and Matt exchanged fist pumps. And in a corner of the room, some distance away from the celebrations of the kids, Will and Emma shared their own private celebration.

"Happy New Year, Em," said Will with a smile.

"Happy New Year, Will," Emma replied, and she felt her husband's arms around her, their lips pressed against each other in a sweet kiss.

* * *

**Notes: **The title of this chapter is inspired by the song by Brotherhood of Man (ESC'76)


	11. As Long As You're Mine

All too soon, the winter break had ended and it was time to head back to school for the new semester. Over the last few days of the break, Emma and Will had been busy starting preparations for New Directions at regionals since the competition was only a month away – he had gone through the songbooks the club had gave him for Christmas for some good songs to perform while she was flipping through catalogues to give her some ideas for costumes, because she felt that the group looking their best would help them perform their best. So the first day back to the grind at McKinley High, the couple walked hand in hand into the faculty lounge at lunchtime and sat at their usual table, unpacking their lunches. The new football coach, Shannon Beiste, came in to join them, she had become friends with Will and Emma their first week back to school in the fall and under her leadership, the Titans were actually winning more games.

"This was the one I had in mind for the girls," Emma said, showing Shannon and Will a page of a catalogue devoted to show choir costumes. The image showed the model wearing a halter-neck dress trimmed in black and shimmering with gold and silver sequins. "The company I called said they would customize the dresses to make the material red instead of gold, to fit the McKinley colors." Thanks to the extra money Figgins promised them, they could actually afford better costumes.

"I love it, Emma," said Will, "the girls would look beautiful in them. As for the guys, I'm thinking red T-shirts and black pants with a black blazer, that would look kind of sharp."

"You two are really excited about this competition, aren't you?" inquired Shannon. "Finn and the other guys on the team who are in your club couldn't stop talking about it. I have to admit, glee club has given those boys a huge boost of confidence on the field."

"I'm glad you think so," said Will. Just then, a familiar figure stood near their table and glared at the three of them. Emma and Will turned their heads, and Shannon looked up with a stare that could almost be classified as disgusted.

"Hey buddy, Irma, you," said Sue in her usual haughty voice.

"Of all the years I've worked here, she's never remembered my name," said Emma to Will in a low voice.

"Get to the point, Sue," said Shannon, "what are you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd stop by and check in on the lovebirds over here," replied the cheerleading coach, "since I hear tell that they're preparing their little band of misfits for another regionals, and they've got a little misfit on the way."

"Get over it," said Will. "We know that you've been trying to destroy the glee club ever since I took it over, and most of your schemes have failed. Maybe this is why the Cheerios have been falling short in competitions lately."

"My Cheerios are still winners, William," said Sue. "Oh, by the way, have you ever thought of going into the extermination business? I mean, with all the product you put in your hair, you could rent yourself out as human flypaper." Emma looked to be on the verge of losing it. She stood up and looked Sue dead in the eye.

"Will's hair is fine, he doesn't need anything to make it look good," she said. "Though I can't say the same for your own hair, it looks like a riding lawnmower ran over it." Will's jaw dropped, a shocked look crossed Shannon's face, and stunned silence fell in the lounge as heads turned towards the scene of Emma's comeback. Sue said nothing and left, the rest of the faculty gathered applauded wildly when the coach finally disappeared and Emma sat down.

"This can't be the same Emma I married," Will said, still looking shocked at what he just heard. "Are you okay?"

"I'm more than okay, I feel great," Emma replied. "I guess I kind of let out my inner diva." Suddenly, Will had a great idea for a song to perform at regionals.

* * *

"So I heard Mrs. Schue shot down Coach Sylvester in the teachers' lounge," said Santana to some of the girls just before glee practice was scheduled to start. The rest of the group started filing in, this was a big practice because regionals was looming around the corner.

"I think she deserved it," said Rachel, "she needed a taste of her own medicine after all the terrible things she put us through over the years."

"All right guys, settle down," Will said as he and Emma entered the choir room and the rest of the kids sat in their seats. "We've got a lot to do over the next few weeks to get ready for regionals, so let's get started. First thing: costumes. Emma has picked them out for the competition, but before she orders them, she needs to take some measurements so the costume shop can tailor them to fit each of you. I need you all to stay behind for a bit after practice so she can get this done and get the order in." Everyone agreed to stay to assist Emma. Reaching into his bag, Will pulled out two folders filled with sheet music: one for the ballad/duet, the other for the closer. Opening each folder, he took out the stacks of music and began to pass them around.

"I've found our ballad and our closer, we just need an opening number," he told them. "I think you'll find the ballad well-chosen, and the closer is a little more up-tempo. Kurt, I chose the closer with you in mind, you have a great gift for making songs predominately done by female artists your own, and this one I feel is no exception. I'd like you to sing lead on it." To keep up with the Eurovision theme they had been doing for much of the year, he had chosen the English version of "Diva" by Israeli artist Dana International, which won the contest in 1998.

"I love the song already, Mr. Schue," said Kurt, "I'll do my best on it." Across the room, Rachel's face brightened up in a wide smile.

"We're doing 'As Long As You're Mine' at regionals?" she said. "This is incredible! Though I'd want Finn and myself to do it, I think you might need me for state or nationals if we make it that far. Therefore, as co-captain I'd like to defer the duet to someone else." Heads turned towards Rachel, they couldn't believe that she was taking one for the team.

"How about you, Puck and Quinn," Will said, "would you be willing to tackle this song?"

"I think we can give it a try," Puck replied. "Quinn, what do you think?"

"It's worth a shot," she said. "But we need to get into the right emotional frame of mind if we want to nail this at regionals." An idea then hit Rachel like lightning.

"Mr. Schue, you and Mrs. Schue seem to know what true love feels like," she said. "How about you demonstrate the song for us? I'm sure it will be a big help to Puck and Quinn." The rest of the kids applauded to encourage their teachers on, and Will looked at Emma.

"You want to give it a try?" he asked. "I mean, we did see the show in London, so I think you know all the words."

"I'm game if you are," said Emma. Facing each other, the two knelt in the center of the floor, and the musicians were cued to start playing. She lovingly looked into Will's green eyes and began to sing.

_(E)Kiss me too fiercely__  
__Hold me too tight__  
__I need help believing__  
__You're with me tonight__  
__My wildest dreamings__  
__Could not forsee__  
__Lying beside you__  
__With you wanting me_

_And just for this moment__  
__As long as you're mine__  
__I've lost all resistance__  
__And crossed some border line__  
__And if it turns out__  
__It's over too fast__  
__I'll make every last moment last__  
__As long as you're mine_

Will took Emma's hand and looked back at her just as lovingly as she had with him. Then he sang in his strong voice.

_(W)Maybe I'm brainless__  
__Maybe I'm wise__  
__But you've got me seeing__  
__Through different eyes__  
__Somehow I've fallen__  
__Under your spell__  
__And somehow I'm feeling__  
__It's up that I fell_

_(W/E) Every moment__  
__As long as you're mine__  
__I'll wake up my body__  
__And make up for lost time_

_(W) Say there's no future__  
__For us as a pair_

_(W/E) And though I may know__  
__I don't care__  
__Just for this moment__  
__As long as you're mine__  
__Come be how you want to__  
__And see how bright we shine__  
__Borrow the moonlight__  
__Until it is through__  
__And know I'll be here holding you__  
__As long as you're mine_

They got close, then Emma turned her head.

_(W)What is it?_

_(E)It's just… for the first time, I feel… wicked_

And as the last note faded, Emma fell into Will's embrace and kissed him sweetly. Their demonstration earned them a standing ovation from the glee kids, Rachel and Kurt in tears. Will pulled Emma up to her feet and put his arm around her.

"God, that was gorgeous," said Quinn. "I hope Puck and I can do it just as well as you two did."

"I think both of you will do fantastic on it," said Emma with a wink. "We still need an opener, does anyone have anything they'd like to suggest? It should be another up-tempo number to counter-balance the other two songs." The room remained silent until Mercedes got up and belted out one line:

_I've got the power!_

"Mercedes, I love that song!" exclaimed Mike. "With you doing that vocal, a couple of the other girls doing backup and perhaps Artie and Finn doing the rap line, combined with some awesome choreography, it would be a killer way to start off regionals! It's different, it's unexpected, and I think we could really wow the judges with that." Others in the group nodded, Mercedes and Mike had practically solved their problem.

"I feel you two," Will said. "I'll get the music, and we can start putting it together next practice. Mercedes, I'll leave it to you to pick your backup singers. Regionals, here we come!"

* * *

**Notes: **Songs are "As Long As You're Mine" from _Wicked_ and a snippet of "The Power" by Snap


	12. Viva La Diva

The entire New Directions group was in high spirits as the chartered coach bus carrying them arrived outside the venue in Columbus were the regional competition was going to be held. The past few weeks had sped by faster than anyone had thought, and the glee club had worked harder than ever to practice, perfect and polish their songs. It had been worth all the hard work though, and both Emma and Will were pleased with the kids' efforts. As he stepped off the bus, he saw the huge scope of the outside of the venue and the banner that was draped across the entrance:

"WELCOME TO THE MID-OHIO REGIONAL SHOW CHOIR CHAMPIONSHIP" it read in large black letters, a pattern of colored stars dotting the white cloth in strategic places. He made sure that everyone was off the bus and had all their things including their costume bags before addressing the group.

"Well guys, here we are," he said, "we're almost halfway to making it back to nationals. I'm going ahead to get us signed in, Emma will take you to your dressing room backstage. Just be doubly sure you have your backstage access pass along with all your belongings, because I heard security is tight in the dressing room area. I'll be back to join you in about ten minutes." Separating from the group, he headed towards the main entrance of the theater, leaving Emma to take the kids to the backstage area.

"All right everyone, follow me and stay together," she instructed, following the directions to the stage door. The kids were all bunched together behind her, talking and laughing. Quinn, however, walked alongside Emma.

"How's the baby doing, Mrs. Schue?" she asked.

"It's developing well according to what Dr. Chin told me," Emma replied, "I have another appointment with her in a few weeks, sometime before state. We found out that it's going to be a baby girl."

"Oh, that's wonderful," Quinn said. "I bet she'll have your eyes and Mr. Schue's curly hair, and for sure he's going to eventually teach her how to sing and dance as well as he does. He's going to be a great father."

"That I can agree with," said Emma. She felt like he was a father to the whole glee club.

* * *

Some time later, Will came backstage and headed to the New Directions dressing room. The kids had all settled in and were getting ready for the performance, many already in their custom-made costumes, Emma rushing around to soothe any nerves and the girls were doing each other's hair and makeup. He had a stack of programs in his hand and passed them out to each person.

"So the show is due to start very soon," he said. "We're all signed in, so please get ready quickly because according to the program, we are going first. Vocal Adrenaline is right after us, and then the final group called Sonic Infinity goes – they're the central division champions. We all know what's at stake here today, so I want you guys to give it everything you have. You're going to be amazing."

"We'll do our best to make you proud, Mr. Schue," said Finn, the rest of the kids agreeing. Just then, a backstage runner poked her head through the doorway telling the group to go to the stage to get ready. Cheering, the kids rushed out of the room, Emma and Will bringing up the rear.

"Don't you worry, Will," said Emma," they're going to be incredible."

"Hello ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Mid-Ohio Regional Show Choir Championship," the emcee said to the crowd gathered in the auditorium. "Today you will see the three best high school show choirs in central Ohio battle it out for the right to represent our region at the state championship being held at the end of March in Cincinnati. From what I've heard, you are in for a real great show." Behind the curtain, New Directions was getting into position for their opener, it was going to be a real showstopper. Emma and Will stood in the wings on stage right, ready to root them on. In the wings on the opposite side, they could see several members of Vocal Adrenaline standing there in their blue and silver outfits, obviously checking out their competition.

"And now, it is with great pride that I present our first group of the competition. They are the defending regional, state and national champions, and have they got a show for you. Please welcome the west central division champions from McKinley High School in Lima…New Directions!" The crowd applauded as the curtain came up. A short audio clip began the first number, then the lights came up on the first riff of the music, then Mercedes made her presence known.

_I got the power!_

The entire number was incredible to watch, Finn and Artie did all the rap lines and Mercedes had decided to make use of all the girls as backup singers. Mike and Brittany had devised some killer choreography that completely wowed the audience. On their side of the stage, Will and Emma were ecstatic at what they were seeing, but on the Vocal Adrenaline side of the stage, they looked kind of shell-shocked.

"Why can't we pull off something like that?" said one girl to her few teammates.

"Because we're soulless automatons," replied another girl. "I don't think there's any way we can top this." The first number ended to wild applause and cheering from the audience, and then Quinn and Puck came forward to center stage to sing "As Long As You're Mine." The lights changed to match the mood, and the two of them sang beautifully, practically matching the same amount of emotion that Emma and Will had displayed in their own demonstration. The number received a huge round of applause, and then the lights came down to allow the next performers to come on. A single spotlight shone on Kurt as the instrumental backing track of "Diva" began to play over the sound system. It was his turn to shine, with Tina, Santana and Brittany backing him up.

_She is all you'll ever dream to find  
__On her stage she sings her story  
__Pain and hurt will steal her hearts alight  
__Like a queen in all her glory_

_And when she cries, Diva is an angel  
__When she laughs, she's a devil  
__She is all beauty and love_

_Viva nari'a, viva Victoria, Aphrodita  
__Viva la Diva, viva Victoria, Cleopatra_

_Silent tears drop from these eyes tonight  
__Tears of prayer for all those aching hearts_

_And when she cries, Diva is an angel  
__When she laughs, she's a devil  
__She is all beauty and love_

_Viva nari'a, viva Victoria, Aphrodita  
__Viva la Diva, viva Victoria, Cleopatra  
__Viva nari'a, viva Victoria, Aphrodita  
__Viva la Diva, viva Victoria, Cleopatra_

A short vocal breakdown followed, Kurt on lead with Santana doing the high harmony. It was time to end this song with a bang.

_Diva, Diva, Diva, Diva…_

_Viva nari'a, viva Victoria, Aphrodita  
__Viva la Diva, viva Victoria, Cleopatra  
__Viva nari'a, viva Victoria, Aphrodita  
__Viva la Diva, viva Victoria_

_Diva!_

The applause that followed was monstrous, as if the roof had been blown off the theater. Everyone in the audience was standing and cheering, going wild for that tremendous performance, even Emma and Will were cheering loudly from the wings. Kurt was smiling as the rest of the club joined him to take their bows. They had absolutely killed their performance, rushing off stage jubilantly after the curtain came down.

"That was incredible," Will said to Kurt. "You practically blew everyone away out there."

"Thanks, Mr. Schue," Kurt replied, "I'm really glad you gave me that song, the audience seemed to love it. I hope the judges did too."

* * *

Whatever it was that New Directions had just pulled off, it had really spooked Vocal Adrenaline to no end. Having to follow that mind-blowing set, they had performed to their usual level, but not with the same confidence that they had in their glory days – the kids had witnessed this via the closed-circuit television in their dressing room. They had begun to celebrate early, but Will calmed them down easily.

"Settle down guys, nobody's won anything yet," he said. "There's still one more group left to go." After Vocal Adrenaline finished their performance, Sonic Infinity took the stage for theirs in smart black and gold costumes. They were quite good, at least better than the Carmel team had been.

"Dude, what crazy person gives a show choir a dumb name like Sonic Infinity?" said Puck as they watched the final group perform. "They must be running out of good names for some of these teams. Our name is at least cool." Emma looked at Will and nodded, Puck did have a point – the name of the central division champions was pretty weird, weird in an Aural Intensity kind of way. Finally, that team's performance finished, and a break was called to allow the judges some time to deliberate. Of the three groups that had performed their hearts out, there was one question on everyone's mind. Which team would be going to state in Cincinnati?

That question would be answered very soon.

* * *

After what seemed like a long time to deliberate, all the groups were now standing on stage in the order they performed. The judges stood together on stage left near the trophy table and the emcee addressed the crowd.

"What a day it's been for high school music programs in the state of Ohio," he said to the audience. "I believe all our incredible groups should be congratulated on a job well done, they are the reasons why arts education in schools is so important." The audience agreed with that sentiment by applauding warmly. On the side of the stage where New Directions was standing together, all the kids were holding hands, their eyes closed. Will and Emma stood on either side of the students, Emma's hand gripping Finn's and Will's locked in Rachel's.

"But now it's time to find out which one of these three groups did enough to impress the judges and earn their place at the Ohio state championship next month," said the emcee. May I have the first envelope please?" A drumroll sounded as one of the judges walked over with an envelope and handed it to the emcee, who then tore it open and looked at the card that was inside.

"Finishing in third place," he announced, "Vocal Adrenaline!" Applause filled the theater as the coach of the Carmel team received the third-place trophy from another one of the judges, then walked off the stage with the group. The remaining two teams walked over to fill the gap, now standing center stage. The drumroll sounded again as the first judge brought the envelope marked "First Place" on the outside over to the emcee.

"This is it," he said, "we are now down to New Directions and Sonic Infinity. The name I call will be this year's mid-Ohio regional champions, while the name I don't call will be the runners-up. So, here we go." He slowly tore open the envelope, slid out the card and studied it, both remaining teams hoping that their name would be the one that was called.

"This year's mid-Ohio regional champions," he announced, "who will go on to represent this region at the state competition next month in Cincinnati, is… New Directions!"

At that moment, both the crowd and the glee club erupted in celebration. The kids were screaming, cheering and crying, savoring their incredible victory, and Will and Emma celebrated with a kiss, Emma's arms around Will's neck. While one judge handed the runner-up trophy to the coaches of Sonic Infinity, another came over with the first-place trophy and handed it to Will, who immediately thrust it up into the air with one hand, sending another loud roar through the auditorium.

"Cincinnati, here we come!" shouted Finn as New Directions continued to celebrate. They were now over halfway on their journey back to nationals.

* * *

**Note: **Featured song is the English version of "Diva" by Dana International (ESC'98)


	13. A Surprise For Emma

Still elated over their huge win at regionals, the glee club went into heavy preparations and practices for state. By that time, the other two regional competitions had been decided as well, with the northern and southern champions crowned. They were determined to work harder than ever if they wanted to go to New York and defend their national title.

"So I was thinking of a fairytale theme, since they're having a baby girl," said Kurt to the girls at the next glee practice. "I also got a hold of Mrs. Schue's mother and aunt, and I somehow charmed Mr. Schue into giving me contact information for some of his female relatives. We're going to hold it at my house, my loft in the basement should be big enough if we move all the furniture." He had been in full planner mode since regionals, he and the girls were planning something very special for Emma and had showed them some ideas he had for decorations, party favors and other things.

"That theme sounds really nice," said Tina. "We could even give Mrs. Schuester a crown to wear since she's the guest of honor. She's going to be so surprised, we just have to find a way to distract her while we set up."

"Leave that to me," said Quinn. "I talked to her just before I came here, she has her next appointment with the OBGYN the same day as the day we picked, I promised I'd drive her to the doctor's office. By the way, does Mr. Schue know about all this?"

"Of course he does," said Kurt, "he was the one who came to me and asked if I'd plan the event, mostly because of the excellent job I did planning my dad's wedding to Finn's mom. And he also told me that he was working on a very special gift, I promised to keep it a secret till the day of the party." The weekend after Emma and Will returned home from their honeymoon, Kurt's dad Burt married Finn's mom Carole in a lovely ceremony. He had enlisted the help of the glee club, who had been the wedding party, and even Will sang during the couple's first dance at their reception.

"You did do a good job on that wedding, I have to admit," said Rachel. Soon, the rest of the group entered the room and took their seats, Will and Emma arriving a few minutes later.

"All right, let's get started, guys," Will said just as the group quieted down. "Our competition for state has been finalized, we will be up against Vocal Edge from Cleveland and Starlight Express from Cincinnati – they won the northern and southern regions respectively. And even though the latter team has the hometown advantage, it's not going to stop us from putting on a great show. So, the floor is now open to set list ideas." The kids began to wonder what kind of songs they could do for a competition as big as state, but then Emma had an idea.

"Will," she said, turning her head towards her husband, "I was just thinking about how we should continue our Eurovision theme, it seemed that during the tour and even at the last two competitions, people really liked our take on some really popular songs from the contest. So why not enter state with a bang? We should do an all-Eurovision performance. And if we make it to nationals, we can put some more songs from the contest as well." There were a few appreciative murmurs from the students, and a smile from Will towards her suggestion.

"Great idea, Em," said Will, pulling out a stack of sheet music from his bag. "While researching some songs online, I found one called 'Better The Devil You Know', it was the United Kingdom entry from the 1993 contest in Ireland performed by a lady named Sonia Evans. It finished second, but I saw a video of the performance and it sounded great." He passed out the music to everyone, and Mercedes was humming the melody to herself. She raised her hand.

"Cool song choice, Mr. Schue," she said. "I was humming the melody, and it sounds like a throwback to the 60s girl groups like the Supremes. It would be a good song to open with."

"I actually had you in mind to sing lead on it, Mercedes," Will replied. "Sonia herself has a powerful voice, but if you infused some of your 'chocolate thunder', I bet it will wow the judges. I'm already working on a re-arrangement of the backup vocals so the rest of the group can perform alongside you." Mercedes winked at Kurt, obviously thrilled about the opportunity to do a lead at state. "As for the other two songs," their teacher went on, "we could always dive into what we did on the tour. I need two people to each call out their favorite finale number, and we'll use those for the other two pieces." The room went quiet for a second, but then Tina was quick to call out something.

"Let's do 'In Your Eyes' for the ballad," she said, "Quinn totally killed it." Matt, who usually said very little, spoke next.

"And how about 'Fairytale' for the closer?" he added. "I'm sure whoever does it will hopefully do it as well as Mr. Schue did in Paris, that number was out of this world."

"All right, we've got Quinn doing the ballad," Will said. "But what about 'Fairytale'? As I'm your faculty advisor, I cannot perform it myself – that would be against the rules."

"How about Finn?" suggested Rachel. Heads turned towards Finn, who looked sort of stunned.

"Okay, I'll do it," he said. "Mr. Schue, do you think you can help me with this one?"

"Sure thing, Finn," said Will with a smile. "Now let's get to work!"

* * *

"You're almost there, Emma," said Dr. Chin as she looked her over, "the baby is developing nicely and it seems quite healthy. You are taking really good care of yourself, which is a very good thing." A couple of weeks had passed since the glee club finalized their set for state, and the competition itself was about a week and a half away. As promised, Quinn had driven Emma to her appointment, and the girl was currently sitting in the waiting room.

"Thank you," Emma replied. "I do try to stay as healthy as I can. Of course, the glee club is really keeping me and Will rather busy, we're going to Cincinnati in about a week or so to compete in the state championship. If we win that, then it's on to nationals in New York."

"That's something else I want to talk to you about," said the doctor. "I spoke with Will a while ago, and from what he told me, the event would be taking place in late May. At the rate your progress is going right now, there is an extremely great chance that you will be giving birth in New York if the glee club makes it. What I'm trying to say is that your due date is around the time of the finals of the national competition."

"I don't really know anyone in New York that can help me," said Emma. "I've never been to the city myself, so if New Directions makes it, it would be my first time there."

"I know somebody who can help," the doctor said as she pulled a business card out of a pack she kept on a nearby table and handed it to Emma. "I have an old colleague of mine who works at the NYU Medical Center, his name is Dr. Michael Lau. Should New Directions make it to New York and you are ready to give birth around the time of the competition, he will take care of you – just call me once you know the competition results and I will call him to let him know you're coming."

"So it seems that if the glee club goes to nationals, I could be having the baby at that time," Emma said to Quinn as they rode through the streets of Lima together. "It's all so exciting, yet scary at the same time."

"Believe me, I know the feeling of giving birth during competition," Quinn said, remembering how she delivered her own baby during the club's first regionals before deciding to give it away. Emma scanned the road ahead.

"This isn't the way back to my apartment," she said.

"We're going to stop by Kurt's house for a while, he said it was important that I bring you there," replied Quinn. Following the directions Kurt had given her, she pulled into the Hummels' driveway. Some other cars were parked within the vicinity of the house, Emma wondered what was going on. Quinn helped her out of the passenger seat, and the two walked up to the front door. Quinn rang the doorbell, and it was answered by Kurt a few seconds later.

"Hello Quinn, Mrs. Schuester," he said with a small smile. "Come right in. I'll take your coats, then the two of you follow me to the basement." Closing the door behind him after the two women stepped inside, he helped Quinn and Emma out of their coats and hung them up in the hall closet. Then he led the way down to the basement, Emma bringing up the rear. The room was dark when they finished descending the stairs, but suddenly the lights came on.

"SURPRISE!" called a chorus of voices as Quinn and Kurt steered Emma towards the center of the room. It was decorated in a beautiful fairytale motif and there was food, drinks and presents piled on a nearby table. Around the room were Rachel, Mercedes, Santana, Brittany and Tina, along with some of Will and Emma's friends among the McKinley High staff, Finn's mom Carole, Emma's mom Susan, her sister Melanie, Will's mom Linda and other female relations from both the Pillsbury and Schuester families.

"Oh my God," said Emma in a state of shock, "what is all this?"

"It's a baby shower," said Rachel as she came forward to place a tiara on Emma's head. "Kurt mostly planned this himself, but the rest of the girls in the glee club pitched in as well." When Rachel returned to her spot, Susan and Linda both came over and gave her a huge hug. It took all of Emma's strength to keep her from crying, but a tear fell from her eye regardless.

"Thank you," she said. "This is so incredible."

"So what are we waiting for?" Kurt said to his guests as Quinn led Emma to her place of honor. "Let's party!"

* * *

For much of the afternoon, everyone celebrated . They played games, ate, talked, and watched as Emma opened dozens of presents containing gifts and toys for her soon-to-be daughter. Just as she was opening the last present on the pile, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs and then saw Will appear, a bouquet of pink roses in one hand and a present in another. She smiled as he approached her.

"You knew about this the whole time?" she asked, letting out a small laugh.

"I was the one who gave Kurt the job of planning all this," he replied, "so yes, I did know about it. By the way, with that tiara you really do look like Cinderella."

"Well, I'm just glad my Prince Charming is here," Emma said. Putting down the present she had just opened, she accepted the flowers and gift from Will and set them in her lap. Tearing the paper of the small, flat package, she held a CD case in her hands, the cover custom designed.

"While you were out and Kurt and the girls were preparing the shower," Will explained, "I went over with a couple of instruments to see a friend who has a small recording studio in his basement. That CD has some songs and lullabies that I recorded with his help, I sang and played my instruments while he programmed some extra ones using his computer. So that is my gift, hopefully it's not too early to get our little girl started on music." Emma opened her arms and Will leaned over to give his wife a loving embrace.

"Thank you," she said softly, "this is definitely the best gift I've received today."


	14. Next Stop: Nationals!

_Better the devil you know than the devil you don't  
Aha, aha...  
I'll give you my heart and my soul if you give me your love  
Aha, aha...  
Better the devil you know...  
Than the devil you don't!_

Fourteen voices (twelve teenagers and two adults) were singing loudly as the chartered coach bus carrying New Directions sped back into the Lima city limits en route from Cincinnati. And standing in the aisle near where Finn and Rachel were sitting was a gleaming gold trophy – the spoils for their performance at the state show choir championship.

They had won. In fact, their Eurovision medley, according to the judges, was the highlight of the evening and had swept the board in an overwhelming unanimous decision. They had performed first like they had done at regionals, and even the president of the Ohio state show choir board admitted to Will after the competition had ended that not even Vocal Edge or Starlight Express could even match their performance.

"New York better look out," called out Finn after the group's impromptu sing-along, "cause we're coming! We're going to nationals, baby!" The rest of the kids cheered, and even Will and Emma couldn't help but look at each other and laugh, sharing in the group's excitement.

"You guys, that performance was insane," Will said. "Mercedes knocked the opener out of the park, Quinn sang the ballad even stronger than she did in Dublin, and Finn, your 'Fairytale' was about as showstopping as mine. I am so proud of all of you!" All the live bands accompanying the groups were hidden behind the tall set of risers that made up most of the performing area, and when Finn took the stage for the finale, Will was behind the scenes with the musicians, playing the violin solos.

"You're not the only one who is proud of the kids," said Emma as their bus approached McKinley High once they were back in Lima, "look!" Will peered out the window and saw a crowd gathered on the school's front lawn behind the curbside. And when the bus pulled up outside the main drive and stopped, the crowd outside cheered, waving red and white pom-poms in the air. Gathered were all the families of the glee club, several members of the faculty including Coach Beiste and Holly Holiday (who was recently named the new health education teacher) that were friendly with Emma and Will as well as Principal Figgins. They were all standing in front of the school's outdoor sign, which now bore the following message:

CONGRATULATIONS, NEW DIRECTIONS: OHIO STATE SHOW CHOIR CHAMPIONS!

"Wow, what is all this?" a shocked Will asked as he was the first to step off the bus. Mike and Matt came off next to help get Artie's wheelchair down, then Emma and the rest of the kids followed soon after, Rachel and Finn bringing up the rear carrying the trophy.

"We wanted to surprise you," said Shannon. "Besides, it's not every day that a McKinley High glee club wins consecutive state championships. In fact, not since your own team, Will!"

"The competition organizers called me just as the results were announced, Will," admitted Figgins. "After I learned that you had won, I had one of the janitors do the sign, and Shannon and Holly contacted the families of the students. Schue, you are a miracle worker!" Other people in the crowd cheered their agreement of what the principal had just said.

"True, Will has done a lot for these kids," said Emma, "but it's a total team effort. Everyone worked together to make glee club a success."

"But still, it was Mr. Schue that brought us all together," said Quinn. "You definitely have to agree with that." The rest of the kids nodded, agreeing with her statement.

"Hey," called out Mercedes' father Daryl from somewhere in the crowd, "how about a performance?" Another cheer rang through the crowd of family members and supporter. Despite having just come off the bus, there was no way Will couldn't turn them down. Even Emma agreed.

"How about we give them our opener?" she suggested. "It brought the house down." Loving the suggestion, Will gave Emma a quick kiss, grabbed his guitar and slung the shoulder strap over his head, then turned to the kids.

"Looks like we have a request for a performance," he told them as he picked out the starting chord for the song. "Mercedes, are you ready to give them an encore of our opener?"

"Oh, you know I am, Mr. Schue," Mercedes said with a smile as the kids got into formation and she took her place at the front of the group. Will counted off the beat, then began to play as the kids started singing.

_Better the devil, devil...  
Yeah yeah yeah!_

_

* * *

_A few days after state, the members of New Directions gathered in the choir room for an important meeting. Will had just received the information and the itinerary for nationals from the state board, so he wanted to go over the details with the group. They had a month and a half to get ready for what would more than likely be the final competitions of the original twelve members of the McKinley High glee club.

"I have received the information regarding nationals," he said as he and Emma faced the kids, bringing the meeting to order. "As we speak, forty-nine other states are in the process of selecting their representatives – some have already done so before our own competition. We have about a month and half to get ready for this competition, so we've really got to step up our rehearsals as well as our song choices." He looked over the paper in his hand once more before speaking again.

"This year's contest is quite similar to last year in Orlando," he went on, "a five-day preliminary round with the top two teams from each day advancing to the finals. However, there are a few differences, especially in the finals. All teams advancing to the finals are to perform a mandatory four-song set that includes a group number, two solos and a duet. A venue hasn't been chosen as of yet for the preliminaries, but the final will be staged at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. The state board is paying for our airfare, and the national board will handle accommodations. Family members who wish to come and watch you guys have to pay their own way."

"As your teachers, it's our responsibility to look after your safety and well-being when we're in New York," Emma continued, "therefore like last year, there will be a curfew that all of you must observe. Will and I will be conducting a bed check just to make sure that you are back in your rooms by the appointed hour." Tina raised her hand, and Will nodded in her direction.

"Mrs. Schuester, Quinn told me that there is a possibility of you having your baby while we're away at nationals," she inquired.

"Yes, that is a very strong possibility," Emma replied, looking down at her coral maternity top. "I could be having it sometime around the day of the finals, but we'll worry about what to do when that happens while we're there."

"Anything else we need to know about the competition?" asked Finn.

"Just that we have a month and a half to plan our set lists, rehearse and polish our chosen songs, work on vocal arrangements and choreography, choose costumes and a few other little things that will come up later," said Will, "other details will be sent to me by the state board as they're made available. But for now, let's concentrate on our set lists. Rachel, I already have a huge solo for you saved for the finals – that's when I figure we would really need you at your best." Looking at his female lead, he saw her smile, then turned to Brittany.

"Brittany, I think we could use you and your dance skills for a song I have in mind for the preliminaries," he told her, "are you up for singing lead on it?"

"I suppose I could give it a try," she replied, "what kind of song is it?"

"Something very high-energy, it should be right in your comfort zone," Will said as he passed out some sheet music. "I'll re-work some of the backing vocals to include the group just like for Mercedes' solo at state, work with Mike on the choreography. And it was featured in Eurovision, which will keep up the theme we've been doing all year. We just need two more songs for the preliminary set, one of them has to be a ballad or something slow-tempo. Any ideas, you guys?" Finn's hand shot up quickly, obviously he had an idea for a song.

"You know how Puck and Santana did 'Under Pressure' for the preliminaries last year?" he said. "Queen seems to have done us a lot of good in the past, so I suggest we do 'One Vision' and work it as a group number – it would be good for an opener. And speaking of Santana, maybe she could do something like 'La Isla Bonita' by Madonna." Faces were lighting up as Finn spoke, especially Santana's.

"I think I can rock that song," she said.

"Then we throw in Brittany's song for the finale, and we've got ourselves a set," Finn went on. "What do you think?"

"Finn, I love it!" exclaimed Will, proud his co-captain had stepped up yet again. "I don't want to get too confident, but I have a good feeling about this set. New York better watch out!" The kids cheered his words.

"Preach, Mr. Schue!" Artie shouted, his fist pumping in the air.

"Now what do you say we get right to work?" Will suggested. We've got a lot to do, and a month and a half to do it. Let's try Brittany's solo first, I'll work the rest of you guys in as we go along." Brittany stepped to the center of the room, and Emma slid a CD with the backing track for the song into the portable stereo sitting on top of the piano.

"All right," said Will. "From the top!"

* * *

**Notes: **Contains a snippet of "Better The Devil You Know" by Sonia (ESC'93 runner-up)


	15. Arrival In New York

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing soon at New York's JFK International Airport. Please be sure to have your seats and trays in their full upright positions, turn off all cell phones and portable electronic devices, and make sure your seat belts are securely fastened."

Had the last month and a half gone by that fast? It seemed like only yesterday that the glee club had won state, and now they were about to touch down in New York for nationals to defend the title they had won in Orlando the previous year. And just like last year, Emma was fast asleep, her head resting comfortably on Will's shoulder. She was very close to full term in her pregnancy, and had decided to go on maternity leave early, adamant that she could make the trip to nationals to help New Directions get through the biggest week of their lives.

"Hey Em, wake up," Will said, gently nudging his wife. Emma's eyes fluttered open as she felt his touch on her arm, she had slept through much of the flight from Columbus due to everyone getting an early start – some early risers among the faculty giving them and the kids a well-deserved send-off. Once she was fully awake, she looked out the window and saw parts of the Manhattan skyline pass by as the plane began its descent.

"I can't believe this is happening, Will, we're going to be in New York in a matter of minutes," Emma said, taking his hand and holding it tight. "Nationals, cheering the kids on, the baby, this is all so exciting!" Plus, there was also going to see _Phantom of the Opera_ on Broadway thanks to Rachel and her dads, both she and Will were looking forward to it. Moments later, the plane's wheels hit the ground, and before they knew it, their plane had connected with the gate and came to a complete stop.

They had arrived.

* * *

Matt and Mike had secured several luggage carts for the group as they waited for their things at the baggage claim area. The carousel spun to life a couple of minutes later and the luggage came into view, people reaching over to pick up what was theirs. Will noticed his guitar case straight away thanks to the McKinley High logo sticker he stuck on the lid and picked it up, his large suitcase following behind. He helped Emma get her suitcase while the kids helped each other to get their things and pile them onto the carts Matt and Mike brought over. When everybody's luggage was accounted for, they headed towards the terminal, walking through the sliding glass doors. On the other side of the barrier was a man who looked to be in his mid-forties holding a large card with their group name on it, so the group instinctively walked towards him.

"Hello New Directions, and welcome to New York," the man said, looking at Will in particular. "I'm Steven Roberts, director of public relations for the Ohio Show Choir Association. I will also be your liaison during your stay here, it's a new thing the national board is trying this year – each state's board sends a representative to be their respective delegation's liaison, their job is to consult with each group's faculty advisor about information related to the competition such as rules, performance dates and the like. By the way, you're Will Schuester, am I right?"

"Why yes, I am," Will said. "I'm the main faculty advisor for New Directions."

"I thought you were," Steven replied, "I remember you when you competed at nationals in Branson back in 1993. Anyway, let's board the bus waiting outside and check in to your hotel in Manhattan. I'll explain some details about the preliminary competition on the way." The group followed him out of the terminal where a wheelchair-accessible coach bus was waiting. Once Artie was loaded in and everyone's things were stowed away in the underside compartments, the rest of the group boarded and the driver pulled the bus away from the terminal and towards the highway to Manhattan. All of a sudden, Mercedes started singing "Better The Devil You Know" to try and help pass the time, and the rest of the kids joined in. Steven sat behind Will and Emma so he could tell them about what was to come.

"Once the last state final concluded," he told them, "the president and vice-president of the national board, with the two main heads of the competition organizing committee as witnesses, conducted the draws for the preliminary round performances such as which groups are going on what day and in what spot each will be performing. The result of the draws has your team performing on Tuesday – day two of the preliminaries – from the fourth slot. All preliminary round performances will begin at 11:30am sharp. I trust you have your set list, costumes, music and vocal arrangements in order?"

"Yes," replied Will, "we had everything finalized about a week after our state competition. The organizers as well as the head of the Ohio state board have our information."

"Perfect, then you're all set," said Steven. "All that's left to do is for you to check into your hotel, which you will be sharing with three other groups on separate floors. We should be there very shortly." Behind them, the kids were singing more Eurovision songs as the bus went through the Midtown Tunnel into Manhattan. The singing stopped while the glee kids took in their surroundings through the windows. Finally, the driver pulled up outside the entrance to the Millennium Broadway Hotel, which was right in Times Square in the heart of the theatre district. Porters rushed outside to start taking the group's belongings from the compartments and load them onto carts, another two opening the back access door to help Artie down. The rest of the group filed off the bus soon after once the way was clear (Will and Emma making sure that everyone had their carry-on stuff with them), and Steven quickly gathered the group outside the front entrance for a team photo.

"Smile everyone!" he exclaimed as he took a picture of the entire New Directions group smiling brightly outside the front entrance to the hotel.

* * *

Once everyone was inside the lobby, Will went up to the front desk to check in as the kids followed, taking in their surroundings. Rachel was at a loss for words because Broadway was right on their doorstep. Mercedes and Kurt looked at each other with wide smiles on their faces, keen to hit the city's many shops in search of fashion. The others were just in awe of actually being in New York City.

"Reservation for McKinley High School," Will said to the attendant at the desk. Checking the computer for the reservation, she nodded when she found the listing she was looking for, then went to another part of the front desk and took out seven envelopes with a number written on the front containing their key cards along with the printout of the room assignments and slid them across the counter.

"Here are your keys," she said. "Your rooms are on the 20th floor, rooms 2001 to 2007 – room 2002 is the wheelchair-accessible room you requested. All your bags have been brought to your rooms. Fitness facilities are on the 16th floor, meeting rooms are on floors five through ten, and Restaurant Charlotte is on this level. Enjoy your stay in New York, and good luck in your competition."

"Thank you very much," said Will, taking the envelopes and stepping out of the line before turning towards the group. "You have already chosen your roommates for the duration of our stay, and the printout I have has randomly selected your rooms. I will call each pair, and you will come get your keys and head up to your room so you can start getting settled in. 2001 will be Emma and myself. 2002 is Artie and Finn. 2003 is Rachel and Mercedes. 2004 is Puck and Matt. 2005 is Tina and Santana. 2006 is Mike and Kurt, and 2007 is Brittany and Quinn." The pairs received their keys and headed towards the elevators. Steven then joined Emma and Will after getting his room key and walked behind the rest of the group.

* * *

The elevator deposited everyone on the twentieth floor a short time later. Steven walked down the hall towards room 2014, promising to see everyone down at the restaurant for dinner. Outside room 2001, Will slid his card into the lock and opened the door, letting Emma go inside first. Their luggage and other belongings were placed on the beds.

"Oh Will, this view is breathtaking!" he heard Emma exclaim as she looked out the window. Closing the door behind him, he went to join his wife at the window. Their room faced the street, where they could see a fantastic view of Times Square and the theatres of Broadway. Suddenly, Emma felt another movement inside her. She took Will's hand in hers and placed them both gently on her stomach.

"Can you feel it?" she asked. The baby kicked again.

"We must be the luckiest people in the world right now," said Will thoughtfully.


	16. Just A Little Bit

Competition day for New Directions began bright and early with a 9:30am wake-up call...

Emma and Will had gotten up at 8:30, an hour ahead of time, so they could shower, dress and be ready for the performance. The day before, the group spent their first day in New York sightseeing, exploring the city and seeing everything it had to offer. At exactly 9:30am, Will stood in front of the door to Artie and Finn's room, removing the piece of masking tape that he had put between the top of the door and the bottom of the frame above the night before, as he and Emma had done with all the kids' doors after conducting their curfew check, so as they would know if someone had snuck out of their room in the middle of the night. Emma was doing the same with the girls' rooms, first stopping at Rachel and Mercedes' door.

"Wake-up call!" Will called cheerfully as he knocked on the door to room 2002. Seconds later, footsteps could be heard from inside and the door opened, revealing Finn standing in the doorway. He rubbed his eyes and stood facing his teacher.

"Hey, good morning Mr. Schue," he said.

"Good morning," Will replied. "We have our first-round competition in less than two hours, so get cleaned up and dressed, then meet in the restaurant downstairs for breakfast. Mr. Roberts wants to go over some last-minute information with us before we head to the venue. Also be sure you have your costumes and whatnot ready to go, because we're leaving right away."

"Will do," said Finn, and the door closed behind him so he could wake up Artie. The two teachers worked quickly to get all the kids up and ready, then took the elevator downstairs and headed to the restaurant where Steven was waiting for them. The kids arrived ten minutes later, all carrying the bags containing their costumes as well as the other things they needed to get ready for their performance. Sitting at a large table, they ordered what they wanted for breakfast and as they were waiting, their liaison began his talk.

"So here's the deal," he told the group. "As I've told your teachers, you will be performing fourth in today's competition. You are allowed live music from a band, instrumental backing tracks or a combination of both."

"We usually use a combination of both, depending on the song," Rachel said. "When it comes to using live music, our school's jazz band helps us out, and Mr. Schuester doubles as an accompanist when needed."

"Good to know, thank you," replied Steven. "I saw Will with his guitar case when I met you guys at the airport. What else do you play?"

"Piano, violin and ukulele," Will answered.

"Anyway, we should be leaving right after we finish breakfast, thankfully the performance venue isn't too far away," their liaison went on. "I can give you some inside information that teams from Arizona and New Jersey won day one yesterday, all the liaisons are required to attend all competitions including preliminaries. They're quite good, but I just have a feeling that you're going to blow everyone away today."

"We'll give it our best shot," said Finn as breakfast was starting to be served.

* * *

Later, the group found themselves backstage at the theatre selected to host the preliminaries, getting ready for their performance in their assigned dressing room. Both Emma and Will thought the kids looked really sharp in their costumes – the girls in black sequined one-shoulder tops and silver pants, the boys contrasting in silver tops and black pants. They had all worked and practiced hard to get here, and they were ready for the challenge ahead to successfully defend the title they had won in Orlando a year ago.

"There's not really much to say that hasn't been said already," said Will, looking at his students proudly. "Go out there and wow them, we've got a great set that is sure to please the audience and the judges. But no matter what happens today, just be proud to be here and everything you've accomplished."

"Let's give 'em hell," said Puck, thrusting his fist into the air. The rest of the group cheered his words. Suddenly, they heard the emcee's voice over the speaker mounted on the ceiling of the dressing room starting the show, Emma rushing about calming any last-minute nerves. The competition had begun with a team from Texas, going through a medley of southern rock hits. New Directions listened with interest.

"They're good," said Tina, looking a little impressed.

"Good, but not great," remarked Rachel, "their vocal timing is a little off." The next group to perform was a club representing Alaska. Halfway through their set, a show runner peeked through the doorway of the dressing room to tell the group to get ready to go onstage. The girls touched up their makeup before joining the guys and their teachers out in the hallway, walking en masse to the access door to stage right just as the Alaska club rushed out of the stage left door. Once in the wings, they saw the team from Florida begin their performance. Surf music? Will knew a good competition set had to strike a balance between slow and fast-paced songs. Before too long, the lights faded on the Florida group, the curtain fell and Will directed his students to their places on stage, the emcee taking the microphone on the other side while he and Emma watched and listened from the wings.

"And now, please welcome our fourth group, our defending champions representing Ohio," he announced. "Ladies and gentlemen, from McKinley High in Lima, New Directions!" The audience applauded as the curtain rose and the music began. The group was still shrouded in shadow, frozen in their opening tableau as the music started to pick up the beat. Then on the opening guitar riff, the lights came up and the kids began the choreography that Mike himself had put together, launching into the song a short time later. They had chosen to do the arrangement from the musical _We Will Rock You_, which gave Mike and Will more to work with regarding dancing and vocals. There were two short solos, which Finn and Mercedes tackled effortlessly, and the group together gave it their own unique style and energy. The song as a whole got a tremendous response from the audience, it was the right way to start New Directions' performance. The lights and the music changed, and Santana stepped forward to perform her solo "La Isla Bonita". Her vocals gave it the right feel, matching the mood of the music perfectly. She got a huge reception from the crowd, she smiled and waved at them before re-joining the others. Suddenly, the pulsing beat of their closer began to boom over the sound system, Brittany dancing full throttle to center stage while the rest of the team went into the next dance sequence. She worked hard on this number, and she didn't want to let her friends down.

_You're my love, you're my sweetest thing  
Don't shy away, don't shy away  
Every night makes me hate the days  
Can't get enough of your love_

_Am I wrong, am I so unkind?  
Show me the way, don't turn away  
I can't hide all these thoughts in my mind  
Every moment I'm just thinkin' of you_

_(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
(Ooh aah...) a little bit more  
(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
You know what I'm lookin' for_

_(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
(Ooh aah...) a little bit more  
(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
I give you love you can't ignore_

The audience clapped in rhythm to the beat of the song, some already standing up and dancing. The judges were looking up at the group with interest as Brittany continued.

_Feeling good, let's go all the way  
It's got to be, set me free  
But tonight let my body say:  
Take it slow, don't let it go_

_How can I prove my love to you?  
Baby, please, you're all I need  
Like a child, but it's more than a phase  
Could act the angel, but it wouldn't be true_

_(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
(Ooh aah...) a little bit more  
(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
You know what I'm lookin' for_

_(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
(Ooh aah...) a little bit more  
(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
I give you love you can't ignore_

Hey, New Directions!_  
What can you do for me?  
Oh... what can you do?  
'Cause I feel so alive  
I feel your love inside  
Ooh..._

_(Just a little bit, little bit more)  
(Just a little bit)  
(Just a little)  
(Just a little bit, little bit more)  
(Just a little bit)  
(Whoa...)_

_(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
(Ooh aah...) a little bit more  
(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
You know what I'm lookin' for_

_(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
(Ooh aah...) a little bit more  
(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
I give you love you can't ignore_

_(Yeah yeah yeah...)_

_(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
(Ooh aah...) a little bit more  
(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
You know what I'm lookin' for_

_(Ooh aah...) just a little bit  
(Ooh aah...) a little bit more  
Just a little bit!_

The crowd went crazy when the song finished, cheering and shouting. From the wings, Will whistled through his teeth and Emma cheered loudly, amazed and proud looks on their faces as the rest of the club mobbed Brittany and took their bows. The ovation lasted seconds after the curtain fell and the group rushed off stage, making room for the next team to take their places.

"Guys, you were amazing out there," Will said smiling as the team assembled in the backstage corridor. "And Brittany, your solo was incredible, I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks, Mr. Schue," Brittany said quietly, taking hold of Santana's pinkie finger and hooking it in hers. The rest of New Directions were all smiles, they thought they had done enough to convince the judges that they were deserving of a spot in the finals. They all decided to go back to the dressing room and hang out for a while before learning their fate.

* * *

The rest of the groups performed, and then a break was called to allow the judges time to deliberate and decide which two groups would move on to the final round on Saturday. Emma, Will and the kids headed into the auditorium and stood in a group against the wall on the left side, the other teams bunched up in other places around the huge room.

"Great job you guys," said Steven as he came up to New Directions. "Some of the other liaisons were very impressed, I have a feeling that you're going to make it." He held up crossed fingers for luck as he scurried back to his seat just as the judges returned to their places – one handing an envelope to the emcee. After thirty minutes of waiting, it was now or never.

"First, I'd like to congratulate all the teams who participated today," he said to the audience, "you were all incredible and no matter what happens, you're all winners for making it this far." The crowd applauded their agreement.

"Come on dude, get on with it already," Puck groaned under his breath. Quinn gave him a small nudge, urging him to be quiet as the emcee tore open the envelope and pulled out the card that bore the judges' decision.

"Our first winner of day two of this year's national show choir championship preliminaries, and moving on to the final on Saturday at Madison Square Garden is... Attitude from Charlotte, North Carolina!" From the back right corner of the room, a group of people in gold costumes cheered and embraced one another, they had performed seventh on the day and had done well. The McKinley group quickly grabbed on to each other's hands as they watched the emcee look at the card he held in his hand.

"And our second preliminary round winner today, joining Attitude in the final on Saturday is... with the highest marks from all three judges... New Directions from Lima, Ohio!"

The crowd cheered as Will, Emma and the kids celebrated with hugs, high-fives and screaming. The emcee then invited both winning groups to come on stage and receive a token of their achievement, the small plaque given to each team's coach.

"Congratulations, and good luck in the finals," the emcee said. Fourteen faces smiled at the cheering crowd.

* * *

**Notes: **Song is "Ooh Aah...Just A Little Bit" by Gina G (ESC'96)


	17. All I Ask Of You

"We rocked them, man!" Puck exclaimed as New Directions returned to their hotel after celebrating their win in their preliminary nationals competition. They now had three days to prepare for the final on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, and the set list Will had put together for that occasion was nothing short of fantastic. The kids cheered Puck's words as they entered the lobby and headed towards the elevators.

"You were all wonderful," said Emma, "and I know you're going to be brilliant in the final. Will and I both agreed that as a reward for your success today, we're going to let you go out into the city by yourselves tomorrow, you deserve it. Besides, you won't have to worry about the two of us – the theater tickets Rachel gave us are for tomorrow's matinee performance."

"You're going to have a wonderful time," said Rachel. "My dads saw it when they were here in New York and they loved it, I know you're going to love it as well. Speaking of performances, we should start working on getting ready for the finals – there's not a moment to waste!"

"Slow down, Rachel," Will said, a mischievous smile on his face. "We've got three days to perfect our set for Saturday, I'll book some time in one of the meeting rooms. Besides, Emma and I want you guys to have some fun in the city tomorrow. If you stick together as a group, you should be fine, but I'll leave you the number of Jennifer at the front desk in case of an emergency. When we get back from the show, we'll do some rehearsing. Sound fair?"

"It sounds fair to me," Rachel replied, agreeing with her teacher's words. She was just so excited about the final competition that she didn't want to waste any time in getting ready. However, the opportunity to go out into New York alone with her friends was too good to pass up.

"You know what, guys?" Finn said. "Our success in the preliminaries today calls for one word, and I bet you can guess what that is." He smiled at the rest of the group, who immediately caught on to what he was trying to tell them.

"PARTY!"

* * *

An impromptu party began moments later in Finn and Artie's room, even the adults were invited. In one corner of the room, Santana was belting out a sultry version of a Helena Paparizou song that was playing on Finn's laptop with some of the other girls watching. Quinn and Emma were talking as they sat on the bed, others were enjoying snacks and drinks, and Will managed to outplay Puck in an acoustic guitar duel.

"Whoa, Mr. Schue, you sure have some skills on that thing dude," said Puck. For a teacher, the resident bad boy of McKinley High thought he was pretty cool.

"Thanks," Will replied with a small smile as he played a few chords on his instrument, "it comes with years and years of practice – I've been playing since I was 12. And everywhere I travel nowadays, I bring my guitar with me, you never know where you might get some inspiration or want to find a place where you can just sit and sing."

"Right on, man," Puck agreed, and gave his teacher a fist bump. The music stopped at the other end of the room.

"Hey, Mr. Schue," called Tina, seeing him with his guitar, "play us something!" The rest of the group cheered in agreement until Will finally gave in. He asked if there were any requests.

"How about the song you gave me and Tina to do as a duet in the finals?" Artie asked. "Maybe hearing you do it solo might help us when we do it in rehearsals and in the competition, sort of like what you did with Mrs. Schue for Quinn and Puck before regionals."

"I think I can do that," Will said with a smile. The room quieted down as he began to play, a moment later he started to sing.

* * *

The next day, after Steven had left to observe the third preliminary competition and the kids had been let loose into the city (with the promise to start rehearsals for the finals later in the day), Emma and Will prepared for their afternoon out at the theater. They opted to have breakfast in their room via room service and go out for something to eat after the show before coming back to the hotel. Both were excited about seeing the longest-running musical in Broadway history.

"Phantom has always been my favorite musical," Emma said as she zipped up the back of her loose-fitting pink dress. "I practically wore out my mom's copy of the London cast recording when I was a teenager, pretending I was Christine all the time. I never dreamed that I would actually be seeing the show on Broadway though."

"What's your favorite scene in the show, Em?" Will asked as he sat on his side of the bed, bending over to tie one of his shoes. He was already dressed in a white dress shirt with a black tie and black pants, the sleeves of the shirt partially rolled up. "I like the masquerade scene that starts the second act, all the colorful costumes and the dancing – I loved it in the movie."

"My favorite," said Emma, "is the scene on the roof where Christine and Raoul confess their love to one another as they sing 'All I Ask Of You'. Especially the part near the end of the song where they kiss, it is so romantic and you can tell that they are truly in love with each other. I guess they're kind of like us right now." She loved romantic stories, as Will had learned over the course of their relationship. Her absolute favourites involved stories that made her cry. Walking over to the desk, he picked up the envelope containing the tickets and his wallet, then walked back to Emma's side where he took her hand.

"Young and in love, just like us," he said. "Shall we go, Little Lotte?"

"Of course, my handsome Vicomte," Emma replied with a small laugh, remembering the nickname given to Christine by Raoul in the story.

* * *

The thunderous overture boomed through the auditorium, sending a shiver up Will's spine as he and Emma watched the chandelier begin its ascent to the top of the stage from their front row seats. This part always gave him the chills, whether he was watching the movie or listening to the soundtrack – the piece of music was as iconic as the show itself.

_I can't believe I'm here,_ Will thought while continuing to watch the opening moments of the show. _In New York, watching a Broadway show with the woman I love. I always wanted to be a performer, singing my heart out in front of thousands of people and hearing the applause. That would have been me had I not gotten together with Terri, she never encouraged my dreams like Emma does – she wanted me to be an accountant instead of a teacher. I wouldn't be here coaching New Directions to possibly a second national title had not it been for Em's advice, she means the world to me and so do the kids._

With a satisfied smile at his wife, he sat back and watched the performance, the story unfolding right before his eyes.

* * *

As the show went on, Emma and Will were both enjoying it, just as Rachel hoped they would. They were in total awe of the sequence where the Phantom led Christine to his lair, including the part where she went "through the mirror", seeing the boat carrying the two characters cross the stage through a labyrinth of candles and fog. Emma started to cry during "Music Of The Night", another of her favorite songs from the show, prompting Will to dry her eyes with a tissue he had in his pocket. They smiled during the "Il Muto" scene, laughing with the rest of the audience as Carlotta began to croak like a frog instead of sing, and the hairs on Emma's arm stood up on end when the Phantom's victim dropped from the flies above. The scene then dissolved to the roof of the opera house where after a brief sequence, the mood changed and Emma's favorite song began.

_No more talk of darkness,  
Forget these wide-eyed fears  
I'm here, nothing can harm you  
my words will warm and calm you  
Let me be your freedom,  
let daylight dry your tears.  
I'm here with you, beside you,  
to guard you and to guide you..._

Will turned his head and saw Emma mouth Christine's part.

_Say you love me every waking moment,  
turn my head with talk of summertime...  
Say you need me with you now and always...  
Promise me that all you say is true  
that's all I ask of you_

It was almost as if Emma was envisioning that she was Christine and Will was Raoul, looking into each other's eyes, confessing their love for each other.

_Let me be your shelter  
let me be your light  
You're safe, no one will find you  
your fears are far behind you..._

_All I want is freedom,  
a world with no more night  
and you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me..._

At that point, Will leaned over and sang gently into Emma's ear, his own token of his love for her.

_Then say you'll share with me  
one love, one lifetime  
let me lead you from your solitude  
Say you need me with you here, beside you...  
anywhere you go, let me go too..._

_Emma... that's all I ask of you_

Emma continued to sing softly to herself, smiling after hearing Will's gentle voice.

_Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime...  
say the word and I will follow you..._

_Share each day with me,  
each night, each morning..._

_Say you love me... _Emma sang under her breath, feeling Will's hand on top of hers.

_You know I do... _Will sang gently as her head turned towards his.

_Love me - that's all I ask of you... _they sang quietly together while on stage, Raoul and Christine kissed each other. Emma's head rested on Will's shoulder.

_Anywhere you go let me go too  
Love me - that's all I ask of you..._


	18. A Date With Destiny

Emma woke up on Saturday morning to the sound of music coming from nearby. She gently sat up in bed and turned her head to see Will sitting in the desk chair, guitar in his lap, playing the melody of the song he had chosen for Tina and Artie's duet, which would be the only song in their set using live music. During the glee club's rehearsal on Wednesday in one of the fifth-floor conference rooms, the two of them asked if he could accompany them and he had accepted. That was one of the things that endeared him to Emma – his willingness to help the kids whenever they needed it. She smiled as the light-hearted tune filled their hotel room.

So, after months of preparation and two and a half days of rehearsals, the day of the national show choir championship finals had arrived. Joining New Directions and the teams from New Jersey, Arizona and North Carolina were groups from Nevada, Michigan, Louisiana, Delaware, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The draw to determine the performing order for the finals was conducted after the last preliminary competition ended for the benefit of getting the programs printed in time, and Steven had told them they would be performing fifth, or last in the first half of the show. The competition was due to begin at two in the afternoon at Madison Square Garden, and Emma wondered if the kids had gotten a proper night's sleep so they would be ready to give it their all on stage.

"I have a feeling," she said, "that some really good things are going to happen today." She looked down at her pink cotton nightgown and saw the shape of her large baby bump, perhaps this would be the day as this was about the time of her expected due date. At least if anything were to happen during, after, or even before the performance, they were ready.

"I think your intuition is dead on," Will replied as he strummed the final chord of the song. "The kids are going to be amazing, we worked so hard on this set and now it's about to come to life. After three years of hard work, I really can't believe this will be the final performance of the original New Directions, they have come so far."

"There's always reunions," Emma said with a wink, "and they can always do a performance or two with the new talent that will be coming in. You should go wake the kids, we've got a big day ahead of us."

* * *

"WELCOME NATIONAL SHOW CHOIR CHAMPIONSHIP FINALISTS"

Madison Square Garden: one of the premier venues for entertainment in the world. Backstage at the theater was a hive of activity as stagehands raced to put the last touches in place for the competition and the ten groups left standing convened in their dressing rooms to get ready. For all the finalists, this would be the biggest performance of their school year, if not their lives. The New Directions dressing room, however, told a different story.

"_I'll cry, I'll die, make you mine again!"_ Santana belted out in the middle of the room as a song with a throbbing Turkish beat played on the portable CD player Finn had brought along and the rest of the group were clapping along to the rhythm. They were laughing, singing, dancing, having fun – Finn had always said the team was at its best when they were loosened up. They did know what was at stake, but they just wanted to enjoy the moment of having made it to the finals. Even Will and Emma were enjoying themselves, this was just the thing they needed to relax and focus.

"Nice job, Santana," Will said as the song ended and everyone applauded, "way to get everyone fired up!" He looked at the kids proudly already dressed in their costumes – the girls looked amazing in pretty empire-waist dresses, the bodice covered in black sequins and the skirts swirling in various shades of pink, the boys in black pants and shirts with fuchsia ties. They looked incredible for this extremely important event.

"This is it, guys," he said to the kids, "your last competitive performance as the original New Directions. When we first started this journey three years ago, we were just a small group of five, but then we continued to grow not only in size, but in our ability to express ourselves as performers. Back then, nobody gave us a chance to survive, but look at us now – here, in New York, competing for another national title. No matter what happens today, you are all champions in my eyes. And I hope you will take memories of your time in glee club with you wherever you go and whatever you choose to do in the next chapter of your lives. Thank you for letting me guide you on this journey, it has been well worth it." The kids all applauded, a couple of the girls wiping tears from their eyes. Emma rushed over to repair any makeup that might have smeared.

"Thank _you_, Mr. Schue," said Finn. "For believing in all of us. You never gave up on us even through the toughest times, we've been honoured to have you as not only our teacher and our coach, but also as our friend and mentor. And I promise you that today, we are going to go out there and give the performance of a lifetime."

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the grand finals of this year's national show choir competition," the emcee said to the packed house that had gathered in the auditorium. "Throughout the week, fifty of the best high school show choirs in the country have competed for the championship, and today you will see the ten groups who have qualified in the preliminary rounds to earn the right to be in this final. They are the best of the best, and deservedly so. The rules for this final competition are as follows: each team is required to perform a four-song set that includes two solos, a duet and a group number, songs and order of presentation of the required elements were pre-determined by each competing group. I wish all the finalists the best of luck, and may the best team win. Now without further ado, let's welcome our first team. From Dover, Delaware... Dimensions!" The audience applauded and the curtain rose, revealing the group from Delaware hidden in shadow. Finally, the lights went up on stage and the performance began.

"They're good," said Mercedes as the McKinley group watched on the closed-circuit monitor in their dressing room. The Delaware team had opted to do their group song first, and they were doing a cover version of a Katy Perry song.

"They may be good," said Rachel, "but that particular song is overdone, especially over the last year or so. I actually heard a group of elementary school children here in New York do a better version than this." A few others nodded in agreement, the song was overdone on the show choir circuit that it was close to being exhausted. Overall their set wasn't that bad. Next up was the team from Arizona, one of the winners from day one of the preliminaries, and that group killed it. As the Michigan team's performance began, there was a knock at the dressing room door and Tina went to get it.

"New Directions, please get ready," said a show runner standing in the doorway, "you're on right after the Pennsylvania team. Tina relayed the information back to the rest of the team, and Will picked up his guitar case, ready to go.

"All right guys," he said to the kids, "let's go!"

* * *

Rachel stood in the wings beside Will, taking deep breaths as they, Emma and the rest of New Directions watched the Pennsylvania team perform. Applause marked the end of their set, and stagehands rushed about getting things ready for the next group behind the closed curtain, one of them setting up a microphone on a stand before running off. Her hands shook a little because she had the opening solo, and would be the very first person that the audience and the judges would base their impressions on. Will looked at her and smiled.

"You're going to do brilliantly out there, Rachel," he told her quietly, "you've hit all your ballads out of the park since day one."

"Thanks, Mr. Schue," she replied as the stage went dark and she took her place just as the emcee was making the introduction. She heard the audience applaud and the curtain rise in front of her as she stood looking out over the sea of people watching. The music started, the lights went up and she began to sing.

_So much to believe in, we were lost in time  
Everything I needed fell into your eyes  
Always thought of keeping your heart next to mine  
But now that seems so far away  
Don't know how love could leave without a trace  
Where do silent hearts go?_

_Where does my heart beat now?  
Where is the sound that only echoes through the night?  
Where does my heart beat now?  
I can't live without...without feeling it inside  
Where do all the lonely hearts go?_

_Candle in the water, rifting helplessly  
Hiding from the thunder - come and rescue me  
Driven by hunger of the endless dream  
I'm searching for the hand that I can hold  
I'm reaching for the arms that let me know  
Where do silent hearts go?_

_Where does my heart beat now?  
Where is the sound that only echoes through the night?  
Where does my heart beat now?  
I can't live without...without feeling it inside  
Where do all the lonely hearts go?  
Where do all the lonely hearts go?_

_Then one touch overcomes the silence  
Love still survives  
Two hearts needing one another  
Give me wings to fly..._

_Where does my heart beat now?  
Where is the sound that only echoes through the night?  
Where does my heart beat now?  
I can't live without...without feeling it inside_

_I've got someone to give my heart to  
Feel it getting stronger and stronger and stronger_

_And I feel it inside  
Hearts are made to last till the end of time_

Her powerful voice filled the entire theatre, and the audience applauded that one sustained note before waving tiny lights in the air. When her song finished, the crowd stood up and cheered. She smiled as she bowed and joined the rest of the group on the risers. The music changed, and Artie and Tina charged forward to do the duet, Will and the school jazz band playing behind them.

_(A)In the summer night, when the moon shines bright, feeling love forever  
And the heat is on when the daylight's gone, still happy together  
There's just one more thing I'd like to add - she's the greatest love I've ever had_

_(A/T)Fly on the wings of love, fly, baby, fly  
Reaching the stars above, touching the sky_

_(T)And as time goes by, there's a lot to try, and I'm feelin' lucky  
In the warmest sand, smiling hand in hand, love is all around me  
There's just one more thing I'd like to add - he's the greatest love I've ever had_

_(A/T)Fly on the wings of love, fly, baby, fly  
Reaching the stars above, touching the sky  
If you just fly, (fly, baby, fly)  
Fly on the wings of love, (on the wings of love)  
Reaching the stars above, (fly, baby, fly,) touching the sky_

_(T)Fly on the wings of love, fly, baby, fly  
(A)Reaching the stars above, touching the sky_

_(A/T)Fly on the wings of love, (fly, baby, fly)  
Fly, baby, fly (on the wings of love)  
Reaching the stars above, (fly, baby, fly,) touching the sky  
If you just fly on wings of love_

Their song also got tons of applause and cheering. Tina gave Artie a huge hug and a kiss before they joined the others. Replacing them at center stage was Quinn, who got the other solo and performed her up-tempo number with the rest of the team singing backup and doing simple choreography in the background.

_Shadows dancin' slowly on my wall  
Moonlight paintin' silver to the sound of heartbeats  
Magical emotions take control  
Knowin' we will meet before the night is over  
Then I'm gonna make you mine, love you till the end of time_

_Take me to your heaven, hold on to a dream  
Take me to your heaven when my nights are cold and lonely  
Flyin' high together on a journey to the stars  
Won't you take me to your heaven, to your heart?_

_I can feel your body next to mine  
Reachin' for a kiss that keeps me warm and tender  
Seven steps to heaven show the way  
When I'm there, I give myself in sweet surrender  
Then I'm gonna make you mine, love you till the end of time_

_Take me to your heaven, hold on to a dream  
Take me to your heaven when my nights are cold and lonely  
Flyin' high together on a journey to the stars  
Won't you take me to your heaven, to your heart?_

_As dawn is breakin' there is so much more to say  
So will you be my one and only when nights are lonely?  
Hold on tight forever_

_Take me to your heaven, hold on to a dream  
Take me to your heaven when my nights are cold and lonely  
Flyin' high together on a journey to the stars  
Won't you take me to your heaven, to your heart?_

_Oh... so won't you take me to your heaven, to your heart?_

On the final beat of the song, the cheers from the audience got louder. The stage darkened to near shadow as Santana and Mercedes joined Quinn for the final song – their group number. A spotlight alternated on each girl as she sang her parts of the first verse and chorus.

_(Q)It's been a long way  
I try hard not to fall apart  
Every night I pray  
And your voice is singing in my heart_

_(S)I have been waiting  
A long time for you to take my hand  
Loving and hating  
A desire that I don't understand_

_(Me)I can't breathe, I can't sleep  
Why can't I get through to you?  
I can't think, I can't speak  
What am I to do?_

_(Q)Destiny, I've been looking for something to guide me  
Destiny, even though I tried, I can't deny you  
(S)If I let you go, I'd betray my soul  
I know that this is something more  
(Me)Even though nothing's spoken for  
A way that you will feel the same 'bout me  
Destiny_

The three walked back in shadow to the front row where they were joined by Kurt and Tina. Behind them, the rest of the group stayed frozen in tableau waiting for the next part of the song. The light shone on Kurt for his part of the next verse.

_(K)Read the stars, see my scars  
I feel so low when you're away  
So reach out, it's not far_

Finally, the lights came up to reveal the full group join in. The lights the people in the audience were holding twinkled throughout the auditorium

_(K/All)Listen to me pray_

_(All)Destiny, I've been looking for something to guide me  
Destiny, even though I tried, I can't deny you  
If I let you go, I'd betray my soul  
I know that this is something more  
Even though nothing's spoken for  
A way that you will feel the same (Me)'bout me  
([ND]Destiny, destiny) (Me)Oh... ooh..._

_(All)If I let you go, I'd betray my soul  
I know that this is something more  
Even though nothing's spoken for  
A way that you will feel the same 'bout me  
Destiny_

_(T)Faith is within me  
Destiny_

As Tina's voice faded out on the last note of the song, the ovation was deafening. Everyone in the audience was on their feet cheering and shouting. In the wings, Emma and Will were also applauding loudly, Emma's eyes brimming with tears of joy. And as the curtain came down, the kids ran off stage where they mobbed their two teachers.

At that moment, Will couldn't have been any prouder.

* * *

**Notes:** Songs are "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" by Celine Dion (winning artist of ESC'88), "Fly On The Wings Of Love" by the Olsen Brothers (ESC'00), "Take Me To Your Heaven" by Charlotte Nilsson-Perelli (ESC'99) and "Destiny" ("Molitva") by Marija Serifovic (ESC'07)


	19. Moment Of Truth

All the way down the corridor, the members of New Directions were singing their finale song on their way back to the dressing room, celebrating their amazing performance. They heard the ovation they received from the crowd, and it looked as if now they were the team to beat. All that was left to do was wait for the other five teams to perform, and then it would be in the hands of the judges to determine who was most worthy of being named national champions.

"You guys, I'm at a loss for words right now," said Will as he walked with Emma, flanked by Rachel and Finn. "You were all absolutely phenomenal! Mere words cannot describe just how extremely proud I am of all of you. No matter what happens today, you're all winners in my book."

"That sums up my feelings exactly," said a voice nearby, "your performance was incredible." The man's British accent practically gave himself away to the group.

"Evan, it's so good to see you, again," said Emma. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been in the city over the past few days doing work for the federation," he explained, "and I was hooked up with a ticket to the competition today. When I saw in the program that you all had made it, I really was determined to cheer you on – I don't think you heard me over the roar of the crowd, it was absolutely deafening. By the way, great job on expanding on your Eurovision theme, that rendition of 'Destiny' was most impressive."

"We know," said Quinn, "and for us that's a great feeling. We really worked hard to get the performance just right."

"Will, these are extraordinary kids you've got here," said Evan. "Believe me, they are all going to go on to do great things, and you have had a hand in guiding them. Well done."

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Will replied. "I know they're all going to look back on their time in the glee club and know that it was the best time they ever had."

* * *

The kids invited Evan to join them in their dressing room, but he wanted to go back to the auditorium to see the rest of the competition. So Will, Emma and the glee kids sat around talking, laughing and having fun just as they were before the show. Will had busted out his guitar and started a song circle, as one by one each person in the group including the adults sang their favorite song from everything they had done in glee together while he accompanied everyone. It ended with him doing the song that he had sung when he proposed to Emma, and the rest of the group joined in on the choral repeats. Emma sat in her chair on the other side of the circle and couldn't help feel a tear trickle down her cheek because that song meant so much to her. Finally, they all sang an acoustic version of "Don't Stop Believing" together, it was only fitting – after all, it was their anthem.

It really helped pass the time while the other groups performed, and a second intermission had been called while the judges were deliberating. Will put his instrument away, the kids pushed their chairs back in their respective spots, and Finn started pacing as the minutes ticked by. Somehow, it was taking quite a while for the judging panel to reach a decision. But finally after about thirty minutes of waiting, there was a knock on the door, and the same show runner from before was standing in the doorway.

"You're wanted in the auditorium," she told them, "the judges have made their decision. Good luck."

This was it, the moment of truth had arrived.

* * *

Now gathered in the auditorium with the other nine finalists, Will, Emma and the kids watched the stage as the emcee walked on with the president of the national board, a series of trophies sitting on a long table off to one side. Near the front of the stage itself was a group of photographers ready to capture the winning moments, and there were sure to be reporters as well to get reactions from the participants.

"What a final it has been," the president said as he addressed the crowd, "and I sincerely hope that you continue to support arts education in our schools. Let's give a big hand to our ten finalists who gave it their all today, as well as to the other forty groups who should be commended for making it this far. It is our hope that you take memories of this experience back to your home states." The audience as well as the finalists applauded the president's words, and a judge handed an envelope to him.

"Now before we announce our winning team," he said, "we would first like to give out some individual awards, and this is the first time we are doing this. First will be the award for the outstanding male and female soloists of the finals, which has been voted on by the judges. The outstanding male soloist is Chris McRae of Neon Sound from Las Vegas, Nevada, and the outstanding female soloist is Rachel Berry of New Directions from Lima, Ohio!" Applause filled the auditorium, and Rachel felt herself being hugged and congratulated by her teammates as she went up to accept the award along with the boy from the Nevada team. Each was given a small trophy and they smiled for the cameras.

"Our next award is for the best costumes," the president went on as Rachel and Chris went back to their respective groups. "That award goes to Bayou Harmony from Lafayette, Louisiana!" The coach of the Louisiana team went up to accept the award on that group's behalf, their country-inspired costumes had gone over well with the audience.

"Now for our final individual award," continued the president, "and that is for outstanding director, an award that has been voted on by the national board itself. This award is given to the faculty advisor who, over the course of the year, has shown dedication to their group as well as passion and motivation. There was a clear winner, and we, the members of the national board, truly feel that this person is most deserving. I am pleased to present the outstanding director award to Will Schuester of New Directions from Lima, Ohio."

"Congratulations!" Finn exclaimed as the kids this time mobbed their teacher. Emma gave him a kiss and gently nudged Will down the aisle while around him, the audience applauded wildly. Out of all the high school glee club directors in the country, they had picked him, and he felt very touched and honored as he received his award from the national board president, the photographers capturing the moment. Once back with his group, he received more words of congratulations from the kids.

"You really are deserving of that award, Mr. Schue," said Rachel, "after everything you've done for us."

* * *

At last, it was time for the moment that everyone had been waiting for as a judge handed another envelope to the emcee. Looking at it, he spoke into the microphone while the crowd buzzed with anticipation.

"We now have the final decisions of the judges," the emcee announced, "and I have been told that these results have been verified by three members of the national governing board. I would now like to call the following teams to the stage in no particular order: from Phoenix, Arizona, Desert Effect; from Lima, Ohio, New Directions; and from Detroit, Michigan, Motown Groove." The three groups, en masse, made their way to the stage, then assembled in the order that they were called. Will and New Directions found themselves flanked by a 20-person group on their right and a 14-person group on their left. At 12, they were by far the team with the smallest amount of members. Still in her spot in the auditorium, Emma watched hopefully, she had not come up with them insisting that Will have that honor.

"You started this journey with them," she had whispered before he went up to the stage with the kids, "I want you to finish it."

"These three teams have been called," the emcee went on, "because they received the highest scores from the judges and have at least placed third. Good luck to all of you, cause here we go." Something that sounded like music played during the revealing of the winner on "American Idol" filled the theater as the emcee tore open the envelope and looked at the card inside.

"In third place... Motown Groove from Detroit, Michigan!" The Detroit team looked happy to have made it into the top three as the president of the board handed their coach the bronze trophy, the photographers took their picture and the crowd applauded. Once they left the stage, the two remaining teams stood dead center, Will and the Arizona team coach nodding to each other as a sign of good luck. Rachel took Finn's hand and held on tight, Tina's eyes were shut, Mercedes stared down at the ground, and Will looked fairly calm despite his heart beating a mile a minute. The suspense music played again.

Two groups left.

"All right," the emcee continued as he looked at the card again, "this is it. One of these two remaining teams will become this year's national champions, while the other will be named the runner-up. So, here we go." Somewhere in the crowd, Emma's hands were clasped in front of her, her eyes closed. She wanted this for not only the kids, but Will as well.

"This year's national show choir champions are..."

A brief pause, and that point, the place went dead silent.

"NEW DIRECTIONS!"

* * *

The crowd rose as one as did the judges, applauding loudly and cheering, the section of the crowd containing the friends and families of the glee members cheering the loudest of all. In her spot in the auditorium, Emma was crying, feeling so proud. All around Will on stage, the kids were screaming and embracing one another, and he felt himself being hugged by both Finn and Rachel. The Arizona team had just left the stage with the second-place trophy while the large first-place trophy was presented by the president to Will. As he, Finn and Rachel lifted it into the air together and the rest of the group each reached out a hand to touch the trophy, confetti flew through the air from two cannons on either side of the stage. The emcee beckoned Will to step forward.

"Congratulations, you've done it again – last year in Orlando and again this year in New York," the emcee said. "How does it feel?"

"Incredible," said Will as he took the microphone. "I couldn't have imagined that this would happen, so it's a dream come true. Most of all, I want to thank these kids behind me, twelve very talented and dedicated young people who are all going to go on and do extraordinary things with their lives. They are the best group of kids I've ever worked with and I am so proud of them!"

* * *

Backstage after the competition was finally over was a sea of chaos as New Directions was not only being congratulated by some of the other teams, but the backstage crew as well. They had already given several interviews to the local press as well as some other media outlets including those from Lima, and both Evan and Steven had joined them in the backstage corridor to celebrate. Finn was proudly carrying the championship trophy with Rachel by his side.

"We did it," he exclaimed, "I can't believe we actually did it. Back to back championships! We've worked so hard all year for this, it's incredible!"

"You should all be very proud," said Evan. "The federation will want to hear about your victory, I plan to tell them all the details of what happened here today."

"Believe me, this experience is going to be etched into everyone's memories for years to come," agreed Will, "what a year it has been."

"Will?" said Emma's voice from a distance behind him. Turning to face her, he heard her taking some shallow breaths, hand on her stomach.

"Em, are you okay?" he asked.

"My water just broke," said Emma. "It's time."


	20. Welcome To New Directions

When Will heard what Emma had just said, he actually remained calm. Getting out his cell phone, he punched in Dr. Lau's number at NYU Medical Center to let him know that he and Emma were on their way while Evan, Steven and the rest of the glee club, still in their costumes, looked on. After finishing the call, he rushed over to his wife's side and gently walked her towards the group, then began to delegate tasks.

"Evan," he said, "call us a couple of cabs. Finn, Rachel, choose two other people to follow me and Emma to the hospital. Do any of you two have your cell phones handy?"

"I do, Mr. Schue," said Rachel. "Mercedes, Kurt, you're coming with me and Finn."

"Quinn, you're coming with us in our cab," said Will. "Mainly because you've been through this yourself, Emma could use all the help she can get. Steven, take the rest of the group back to the dressing room, help them get their things as well as the trophies and take them back to the hotel, Rachel and Finn will contact you when they can. Also, when you go back there, get Emma's suitcase – it's in one of the wardrobe spaces beside my guitar case." Before leaving for the finals, Will and Emma packed a small suitcase containing the things she would need in case it was time to have the baby.

"Got it," said Steven. "Come on, let's go." He took the remaining glee members back to their dressing room, leaving Will, Emma, Quinn, Rachel, Finn, Kurt and Mercedes behind. Moments later, Puck charged down the hall with Emma's suitcase and handed it to her, telling Quinn that he had his own cell phone with him, then rushed back to join the others. A few more moments later, Evan returned, having completed his task.

"The cabs are waiting at the curb outside the artists' entrance," he told them. "I'll go with Steven and the kids back to their hotel, they might need some extra help."

"Thanks Evan," said Will, and the remaining members of the group headed out the stage door and to the street, where two cabs were waiting. Emma was eased into the passenger seat of the front cab, Will and Quinn sat in the back. In the cab behind them, Finn got into the front seat, with Rachel, Kurt and Mercedes sitting together in the back. All the doors were closed shut by the drivers, and they jumped into the driver's seats of each taxi.

"Tisch Hospital, NYU Medical Center," said Will in the first cab, "and hurry, my wife is going into labor! Deep breaths, Em, you're going to be fine."

"Follow the cab in front," directed Finn in the second cab, "it's going to NYU Medical Center." The taxi carrying Will, Emma and Quinn pulled away from the theatre and into the busy streets, the second taxi following close behind.

* * *

Once both cabs arrived at the hospital and the drivers were paid by Will and Finn, Mercedes, Rachel and Kurt scrambled out of the second cab while Will and Quinn helped Emma out of the first. Finn found a wheelchair when they entered the facility and Emma was gently placed in it as they asked for directions to the natal ward at the front desk. The desk attendant gave them the details just as a heavy contraction hit Emma, causing her to squeal in pain. Quinn held her hand as Will wheeled her quickly to the elevators, the others surrounding them. Riding the elevator to the eighth floor, they found their destination and went up to the nurse's station.

"My wife has gone into labor," said Will, "Dr. Lau is expecting us – Will and Emma Schuester." The nurse at the desk looked up their name in the records on her computer at the same time the doctor arrived. He looked at the entire group and nodded at the nurse.

"Will and Emma?" he said to the couple, "I'm Dr. Lau, I've been expecting you. We'll take you right away. And these kids are friends of yours?"

"They're some of my students," Will explained, "we've come all the way from Ohio and have been here for the past week competing in the national show choir championship. Emma's obstetrician back home recommended you to us."

"All right," said the doctor, "let's get this show on the road. Kelly, get a room ready for Mrs. Schuester and tell Charlotte to keep an eye on her progress. Will, as the father you're coming with me. You might need one other person, possibly a female, to help out as well."

"That will be this young lady right here," said Emma, indicating Quinn. Another contraction hit, and she winced. Dr. Lau gestured to Quinn to follow him, Will and Emma, and she obliged, not before turning to face the others.

"I've got my cell phone, Rachel," she told them, "you can tell the others that Mrs. Schue has just been admitted, I'm sure you have Puck's number in your address book. I'll give you updates as soon as I can." With that, she disappeared behind the doctor and her teachers, leaving Rachel, Finn, Kurt and Mercedes behind. Sitting down beside Finn, Rachel sent a text message to Puck, hoping that the others would be back at the hotel by now. All the four could do now was wait.

* * *

Once Emma was admitted to one of the birthing rooms, Quinn and the nurse named Charlotte helped her out of the dress she was wearing at the competition and into a hospital gown, then gently eased her onto the bed as Quinn pulled the covers over her body. Charlotte hooked Emma up to a fetal monitor to help keep updated on her progress just as another contraction hit – they were starting to come closer together as time passed.

"Looking good, Emma," said Charlotte as she checked the printout coming from the computer, "the first reading shows you are four centimetres dilated. When we get to ten, we should be ready to go, I'll be back in an hour to check on you. In the meantime, just relax." The nurse left the room, and Will and Quinn pulled up chairs on either side of Emma's bed to keep her company.

"Honey, you're going to be fine," said Will, reassuring his wife. "Just relax, like the nurse said. Maybe this will help." He noticed that the room had a TV and a DVD player, so he had opened Emma's suitcase and pulled out their DVD copy of the concert tour the kids did in Europe. When it started to play, Emma felt herself begin to relax, then turned her head to Quinn.

"Quinn, I just want to thank you for helping me get through this," she said. "Will and I talked it over some time ago, and I would like you to be the baby's godmother. Would you do this for us?"

"I would be honored," Quinn replied with a smile. "Who did you have in mind to be her godfather?"

"Finn," said Will, "mostly because we've been very close since I started the glee club. If it weren't for him joining the group, the rest of you wouldn't have followed. You have all been like a second family to me."

"I think that's a great choice, Mr. Schue," said Quinn, texting the message about Will's request to Rachel. A few moments later, a reply came back:

_Finn says he would be honored._

* * *

Three and a half hours had passed since Will, Emma and the five glee members arrived at the hospital. In the waiting room, Rachel and her teammates were soon joined by Will's parents and Emma's family bringing trays of drinks and snacks, who had been in the audience for the final competition and congratulated the kids on their well-earned success. They all asked how Emma was doing, and Rachel told them that Quinn has been sending updates via text messages, which Rachel relayed to the others back at their hotel via Puck. The families were eager to see the new baby, especially the Schuesters, as this baby would be their first real grandchild. The TV in the waiting room was playing the local news, where a story about the show choir final was airing at that moment.

"I'm never going to forget this day, ever," said Mercedes. "Remind me to tell Mrs. Schue that Kurt and I will help her pick some great clothes for the baby." Will's proud face appeared on the screen as he was interviewed by a reporter, causing his parents to smile.

"We're so proud of our son," said Will's father, Don. "This truly was what he was destined to do: become a teacher and share his passion for music with his students. He has always been talented, you know – I believe that he's going to be a very talented father too."

"Believe us when we say we're proud that he's been our teacher," said Finn, "we really would have been lost without him, not to mention we wouldn't have won consecutive national championships if he hadn't revived the glee club and brought us together." Suddenly, Rachel's cell phone vibrated, it was a new message from Quinn. Seeing what it was, she showed it to the others:

_Showtime! Dr. Lau is preparing for delivery_

* * *

Quinn and Will, now wearing blue paper gowns over their clothes and blue caps on their heads, stood on either side of Emma, one of their hands in each of hers. Emma's eyes were closed, her hair messed up, shouting out as she pushed hard, then took a few breaths before pushing again. She had been doing so for the last twenty minutes

"You're doing great, Emma," said Dr. Lau, Nurse Charlotte standing nearby. "A few more pushes and it will be out. Don't panic, everything is going to be okay."

"Do as he says, Em," said Will, while Quinn coached on the other side of her. "You've come so far to overcome your messiness problems, I know you can do this." He continued to grip her hand in his for support, Emma's eyes began to fill with tears.

"And... push!" said the doctor. Emma pushed as hard as she could. "Relax. I am starting to see it, take a few breaths... and push!" As she pushed, she let out a scream and Quinn gave her some ice from a bowl to suck on. Will continued to reassure her that she was going to be fine.

"Two more ought to do it," the doctor said, "push!" Emma pushed again, and Dr. Lau's gloved hands began to reach out towards the head of the baby, which was quickly emerging. "One more time, Emma... push!" With every ounce of energy Emma had left, she screamed loudly as she pushed one more time, her head collapsing back on the pillow in exhaustion as she took some deep breaths. The next thing she heard, aside from the beating of her own heart, were the shrill cries of the baby that was now in Dr. Lau's arms. Nurse Charlotte clamped the umbilical cord and the doctor quickly cut it, then gave the baby to the nurse so she could wash it off. Will's eyes were shining at his wife, and Quinn was smiling.

"You did it, Em," he said, tears of joy filling his eyes as the washed baby was presented to Emma.

"We did it," Emma replied quietly, "we have our baby girl."

* * *

Rachel had been asleep on Finn's shoulder in the waiting room when the vibrating of her phone woke her up, Mercedes and Kurt had gone to the cafeteria to get some coffee for the group. When they returned, Rachel had just picked up her cell phone to see if there was any word from Quinn yet, and there was. She was smiling as she read the message:

_The baby was born at 10:23pm, she's beautiful. They're moving Mrs. Schue to a room on the 13__th__ floor momentarily, Mr. Schue can't stop crying Mother and child are doing fine._

"Finn, wake up!" Rachel exclaimed, nudging her boyfriend who had been asleep as well, "it happened! Mrs. Schue had the baby!" Opening his eyes, Finn smiled, and nearby both sets of parents were embracing each other. Mercedes' eyes filled with tears. Another text message followed from Quinn.

_You guys should go back to the hotel, you must be tired. Tell the others what happened, and that Mr. Schue wants to see all of you in the morning. I'll be fine._

"Finn, Mercedes, Kurt," said Rachel as she stood up, "we should go back to the hotel. I'm sure we're going to want some sleep after such a busy day." She called for a cab, then looked at Will's and Emma's parents.

"Don't worry about us," said Emma's mom Susan, "we're going to be fine. You go ahead and reunite with your friends." Rachel nodded, and the four kids left the ward, not before she sent a message to Puck.

_We're heading back to the hotel, Mrs. Schue had the baby. We'll tell you more when we arrive._

* * *

Back at the hotel, the remaining glee members along with Evan and Steven had all converged in Finn and Artie's room after returning from the competition. A party had started soon after, all the trophies including Rachel's and Will's perched on the desk near Finn's bed, and for the whole time that Rachel and the others had been away, it was spent talking, singing and sharing stories about their time in the club since its resurrection. Puck had received Rachel's note on his cell phone and waved at Artie to turn the music that was playing in the room down.

"Dudes, Mrs. S had the baby," he told the others, "Rachel and the others are on their way here, they should be back soon." A cheer rang through the room as Tina and Brittany both began to cry. Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and Mike opened it to reveal the four who had followed Will, Emma and Quinn to the hospital. Space was cleared on the bed as Rachel sat down with Finn to tell the rest of the team everything.

"The baby was born at 10:23pm this evening," she told them, "Quinn gave me a couple more updates on the cab ride back here. The little one is very healthy, she weighed in at seven pounds six ounces. Quinn is staying the night with the proud parents, the Pillsbury and Schuester parents are also staying behind, I'm guessing they want to see her first. They haven't picked a name yet, but I'm sure they will soon. Mr. Schue wants to see us all in the morning."

* * *

Late the next morning, the entire glee club arrived on the thirteenth floor of the hospital, Brittany carrying a large bouquet of flowers. The nurse at the desk pointed them down the hall after Rachel told her who they were there to see, stopping in front of the door to room 1303, which was open a crack. Finn pushed it open, and one by one the kids stepped inside, all smiling at what they were seeing. Emma was lying in the bed, smiling at the baby wrapped in a warm pink blanket in her arms. Will and Quinn were sitting at her side.

"Hi guys," said Will. "Come closer, there's someone we want you to meet." The kids came closer to see the new arrival and Brittany placed the flowers on the bedside table. Finn was the first to look at the baby girl, he could see faint wisps of red hair on the little one's head.

"She's beautiful, Mrs. Schue," he said as Rachel walked over to join him. "What's her name?"

"Melody," said Emma proudly. "Melody Victoria Schuester." Rachel reached out to touch the baby's cheek.

"We came up with the name late last night," said Will. "Melody because it's musical, sort of a way to remind us of glee club, and Victoria to remind us of our European adventure. She looks so much like her mother, doesn't she?"

"She really does," said Rachel, her eyes shining.

"Welcome to New Directions, Melody," said Finn. As the rest of the club gathered around the bed, Emma and Will's eyes met each others with pride.

This feeling, the start of their new family with their current family with them, that was all they ever wanted.


End file.
